Science on Stage Finland - LUMA-keskus Suomi

Science on Stage Finland disseminates and promotes the best-practice examples of Science on Stage in Finland. Every two years, Science on Stage Finland organises a national selection process for Finnish representatives for the Science on Stage festival.

The Science on Stage Festival is Europe’s largest educational event for teachers of STEM subjects, including mathematics, environmental studies, science, and technology. During this international fair, which is held every two years, participants share ideas, learn new teaching approaches, and connect with colleagues from across Europe. The most recent festival took place in Klaipėda, Lithuania, in May 2026. You can read a travel report about the experiences of the Finnish teachers via this link (in Finnish) and explore the projects presented at the event at the bottom of this page (in Finnish).

The next Science on Stage Festival will take place in 2028. The date and location have not yet been selected. LUMA Centre Finland coordinates Science on Stage Finland activities and will therefore organise a selection process to choose Finnish teachers for the event. The application process consists of two stages. By completing an online application form, you can apply to participate in the national selection event. The form will be open from 1 April to 16 May 2027. The selection event will be held during the LUMA Days in Vaasa on 17 September 2027. During the event, a jury will review all candidates and select four projects to represent Finland at the next international festival. More information about the application process can be found on this page.

Teacher living and working in Finland – Apply with your own project

Four projects designed and implemented by teachers in Finland will be selected for participation in the international Science on Stage Festival. A project may consist of, for example, self-developed teaching materials, a project carried out with learners, or a successful educational practice such as collaboration with a municipality.

Teachers participating in the festival visit one another’s exhibition stands, gathering ideas and inspiration for their own teaching. Each participant has their own exhibition stand where they present their project. You can explore examples of projects presented at the most recent festival under the heading Science on Stage Festival 2026 in Lithuania at the bottom of this page. Perhaps your school or early childhood education centre is already carrying out a project that could be submitted?

Teachers from all educational levels, from early childhood education to primary and secondary education, upper secondary schools, vocational education and training, and higher education, are welcome to apply. Student teachers may also participate with a project related to their studies.

The Application Process Has Two Stages

Stage 1: Submit Your Project

Register your project using the online application form, the link to which will be published on this page on 1 April 2027. The form will remain open until 16 May 2027. Approximately 20 projects will be selected from the submitted applications to proceed to the national selection event. The application form can be completed in Finnish, Swedish, Sámi, or English. Your project does not need to be completed by 16 May. It is sufficient that the project has been planned and implementation has begun. There is plenty of time to start planning during the autumn term or the coming spring. Remember to take photos and/or videos during the implementation process. They will be valuable additions to your exhibition stand presentation!

Stage 2: National Festival

The selection event will be held in Vaasa on 17 September 2027. LUMA Centre Finland will cover the travel expenses and accommodation for one participant per project. The event is a national fair similar in format to the international Science on Stage Festival, where participants present their projects at individual exhibition stands. Projects may be presented in Finnish, Swedish, Sámi, or English. A jury composed of teachers representing different educational levels will select four projects to attend the next international Science on Stage Festival. LUMA Centre Finland will cover travel and accommodation costs for the four representatives selected for the international event.

Have you participated in Science on Stage before?

Each year, the festival also includes international collaboration projects. These so-called Joint Projects belong to a separate category with a dedicated application process, and selections are made by an international jury. A Joint Project must be designed and implemented together with a teacher from another country. Projects selected in this category do not count toward Finland’s quota of four national projects. Further information about the Joint Projects application process will be provided on this page closer to the application period.

Project evaluation

Every project submitted through the online form is evaluated using the same criteria applied at the selection event. The application form serves as a preliminary screening stage. At the national selection event, four projects will be chosen to represent Finland at the next Science on Stage Festival. Projects are evaluated by Science on Stage Finland, whose members include representatives from LUMA Centre Finland, the Finnish National Agency for Education, the Innokas Network, the Lukema Network, and teachers from various educational levels.

The ideal Science on Stage project:

is from teachers for teachers,
promotes inquiry-based learning,
has a high relevance to everyday life,
is easy to implement in everyday school life and can be financed with reasonable means,
promotes education for sustainable development, and
fits into one of the following guiding themes:
- STEM for the Youngest Projects promoting STEM in primary schools for children aged 10 and younger.
- STEM for Education for Sustainable Development Projects that contribute to the achievement of the 17 SDGs.
- AI in STEM Education Projects that demonstrate ways to integrate AI into the classroom and promote the understanding of AI.
- Equity and Inclusion in STEM Education Projects that reflect the heterogeneity and diversity of our society, e.g. teaching methods that engage students with different learning levels or cultural backgrounds.
- Career Orientation in STEM Education Projects that show good practice in integrating career orientation into STEM education.
- Low-Cost Experiments in STEM Education Projects that are low-cost to implement.
- Self-directed Learning in STEM Education Projects that demonstrate approaches where the teacher acts as a facilitator, e.g. in a digital learning environment, or that can be useful in addressing teacher shortages.

When selecting projects, we also consider the diversity of both the projects and the delegation members. We aim to choose projects representing different educational levels, themes, and geographic regions of Finland. In addition, priority is given to first-time participants, as we wish to offer this unique experience to as many Finnish teachers as possible.

Projects submitted through the application form will be evaluated in May, and selected applicants will be notified before the end of the 2026–2027 school year. Late applications will not be considered.

What happens if my project is selected for the Vaasa National Festival?

LUMA Centre Finland will cover the travel costs of one participant per project. Covered expenses include: bus or train tickets to and from Vaasa, accommodation for the night of 16–17 September 2027, dinner on 16 September, breakfast and lunch on 17 September. If multiple teachers from your school or early childhood education centre wish to participate, we recommend applying for additional travel funding from your municipality, school, or other sources.

The selection event takes place alongside the national professional development event LUMA Days. More information about LUMA Days is available through this link. The programme includes numerous free workshops, lectures, and discussion sessions for teachers of different subjects. The Vaasa LUMA Days are a rewarding experience in their own right.

What happens if my project is selected for the next international Science on Stage Festival?

LUMA Centre Finland will cover the travel expenses of one participant per project. Covered costs include: travel tickets to and from the host country, accommodation, lunches during the event. If multiple teachers from your school or early childhood education centre wish to attend, we recommend seeking travel grants from, for example:

Your school or municipality, as the festival is an international professional development seminar for those interested in STEM education
The OKKA Foundation
The Magnus Ehrnrooth Foundation

Participation fee: approximately €600, covering accommodation and lunches during the event. Travel expenses: at least €400 should be budgeted for return travel tickets.

Science on Stage Festival 2026 in Lithuania

A total of 11 teachers from Finland participated in the Science on Stage Festival held in Klaipėda, Lithuania, from 28–31 May 2026. The festival brought together around 600 teachers from more than 30 countries across Europe.

Read the travel report from the Science on Stage Festival in Lithuania (in Finnish) and view photos from the event in our Instagram post.

In Lithuania, Finland presented six projects as well as one international collaboration project (Joint Project). You can learn more about these projects through the following articles (in Finnish):

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact us by email at luma-keskus((a))helsinki.fi