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STEM Spark was created in response to a crisis-affected world where children, particularly girls in low-resource and displacement settings, face severe barriers to quality education. Many learners live in refugee camps or informal settlements, experiencing repeated displacement, disrupted schooling and gender norms that deprioritise girls’ education, increasing vulnerability to exclusion and exploitation.
Traditional education systems are often not designed for crisis contexts, prioritising theory over practical, future-relevant skills. STEM Spark addresses this gap through a low-resource, high-impact model using locally available materials and hands-on learning, making it accessible and scalable across diverse environments.
As economies become more digital, demand for problem-solving, critical thinking and digital literacy is rising, yet the digital divide continues to exclude marginalised communities, especially girls. STEM Spark bridges this gap by building technical skills alongside confidence to engage with future opportunities.
A core pillar is capacity building. We equip educators with tools and training to deliver engaging STEM learning, enabling locally driven ecosystems that can sustain and expand in underserved communities.
We not only prepare learners to access opportunities, we equip them to create it. Across contexts including Kenya, Syria and Jordan, STEM Spark demonstrates that education can be resilient, relevant and transformative even in crisis settings.
STEM Spark is a 15-hour, STEM intervention for children in crisis-affected and low-resource settings, rebuilding scientific literacy, problem-solving, and confidence through experiential learning.
The programme uses Phoenix Space’s proprietary curriculum, co-developed with the Airbus Foundation and adapted to local curriculum gaps, via modular units in maths, physics, engineering, and programming.
In practice, STEM Spark is delivered in community spaces, schools, and refugee centres by local STEM facilitators who receive enhanced training by Phoenix Space to strengthen local STEM ecosystems.
Each session follows a structured learning cycle: an introduction to a core scientific concept, testing through experimentation using low-cost materials, and application of learning to solve a practical challenge, transforming abstract concepts into practical tools for understanding the world around them and enhancing their capacity for future application in education. For example, a class on forces begins with students predicting why objects move. They test hypotheses using paper aeroplanes, measure distance and angle, and refine designs using maths and physics.
In Kenya, 96% of girls demonstrated improved confidence in critical thinking. In Jordan, 98% reported increased motivation to continue STEM learning. In Syria, 99% reported applying STEM concepts to everyday life. Teachers and parents reported stronger classroom engagement and students sharing new knowledge at home.
To date, STEM Spark has been delivered to over 1,000 students and 17 teachers across Za’atari Camp, Jordan, Kibera Informal Settlement, Kenya, and Aleppo, Syria.
Originally developed in 2020 in collaboration with the Airbus Foundation to spark interest in STEM among children in marginalised communities, the programme has since demonstrated wider systemic value. In 2025, teachers in Kibera observed students independently sharing STEM Spark concepts with peers outside the programme, highlighting strong engagement, knowledge retention and peer-to-peer learning. School leaders have recognised that STEM Spark fills critical gaps in existing curricula, particularly in practical and digital learning, and have advocated for greater integration into formal national education systems. The programme has also increased engagement among girls who would otherwise disengage from school, particularly in lessons they previously found inaccessible or unengaging.
Over the next 2-3 years, our goal is to scale STEM Spark through teacher training, local and governmental partnerships. We now have strong evidence that the model is an effective introduction to STEM, sparks sustained interest in learning, and can be adapted across diverse marginalised settings. With the right funding partners, we aim to reach 5,000 learners annually and strengthen local STEM ecosystems for long-term impact.
The STEM Spark course curriculum can be accessed by contacting info@phoenixspace.org. After speaking with our team, we can modify our courses to fit the needs of the partner organisation and the learning needs of the students. Another benefit is that the materials for the course can be easily sourced in most communities or replaced with local options.
