STAR shall catalyze the development of professional learning communities that will sustain teacher capability building in the countryside and uplift the quality of STEM education in the Philippines.

       The “Science Teacher Academy for the Regions” (STAR) is a project of the Science Education Institute (SEI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) aimed to develop a critical mass of teachers by providing high impact STEM trainings to as many teachers as possible all over the country. This is very timely in view of the need to develop the scientific, creative and critical thinking of students in conformity with the 21st century learning. Likewise, given the nature of K to 12 science and mathematics curriculum as learner-centered and inquiry-based, there is a need for teachers to focus on pedagogical approaches that would lead to a deeper understanding of STEM concepts and its application to real-life situations. The project commenced in 2013 with the preparatory activities, while the actual conduct of trainings began in 2014.