Update: Information from Answers.com

UPDATE.^[1] - Understanding and Providing a Developmental Approach to Technology Education is a project within the 6th framework programme of the European Union. The project intends to improve science and technology teaching in Europe in order to appeal young people to technology, especially girls. The objective is new learning material and methods to result from the project being focussing on three age-groups mainly: early childhood, elementary school (age 6 to 12) and general education (age 13-18).

1 Project Background
2 Project Consortium
3 Project Participants
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

Project Background

Several studies conducted by the European Union (e.g., Eurostat 2004, Implementation of “Education and Training 2010” work programme) demonstrate that women and girls are continuously dramatically under-represented in science and technology education, areas, and jobs. This is highlighted in the Joint Interim Report “Education and Training 2010” by the European Commission under domain of Maths, Science and Technology (MST). The joint report points out the persistent shortage of women in scientific and technical fields and calls on Member States to encourage the development of a scientific and technical culture among its citizens. In particular, action was recommended in order to motivate young people, especially girls, to undertake scientific and technical studies and careers. Even in countries where gender imbalance is not a problem in the areas of mathematics and science, there is a marked imbalance when technology subjects are taken into account. Technology, where the science is put into action, is an area where the gender imbalance culminates.

Project Consortium

16 partners from 11 different countries participate in this multinational European project; the members come from Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria, Slovakia, Estonia and Romania. The project is funded by the European Commission as a Specific Support Action (SSA) with € 922,300 for years 2007-2009. UPDATE is part of the Sixth Framework Programme of the EC.

Project Participants

Country	Organization Name	Participant	Web Site
Finland	University of Jyväskylä	Dr. Aki Rasinen, Dr. Marja Kankaanranta, Dr. Leena Turja, Päivi Fadjukoff	http://www.jyu.fi/
United Kingdom	University of Glasgow	John R. Dakers and Wendy Dow	http://www.glasgow.ac.uk/
France	IUFM University Institute for Teacher Training of Aix-Marseille	Prof. Jacques Ginestié	http://www.aix-mrs.iufm.fr/
Romania	"Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iasi	Prof. Dr. Doina Balahur	http://www.uaic.ro/
Romania	Ovidius University Constanta	Prof. Ph.D. Valentina Pomazan	http://www.univ-ovidius.ro/imim/
Estonia	University of Tallinn	Prof. Ene Lind	http://www.tlu.ee/
Germany	Dortmund University of Applied Sciences, Ada Lovelace-Mentoring-Association	Prof. Dr. Sylvia Neuhäuser-Metternich	http://www.fh-dortmund.de/, http://www.ada-mentoring.de/
Germany	University of Koblenz, Ada Lovelace-Project	Dr. Martina Endepohls-Ulpe,Judith Ebach,Prof. Dr. Wolf-Andreas Liebert	http://www.uni-koblenz-landau.de/
Spain	FCRI Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation	Dr. Jordi Mas	http://www.fcri.es/
Germany	Competence Center Technology-Diversity-Equal Chances	Sabine Mellies, Carmen Ruffer	http://www.kompetenzz.de/
Slovakia	Institute of Philosophy at the Bratislava Slovak Academy of Sciences	Prof. Tatiana Sedová	http://www.klemens.sav.sk/fiusav/index_en.php
Austria	Pädagogische Hochschule, Wien	Prof. Dr. Josef Seiter	http://www.phwien.ac.at
Italy	Regional Institute for Educational Research Marche	Prof. Cristina Pavisic	http://www.irre.marche.it
Greece	Aristotle University, Dept. Of Mechanical Engineering	Prof. Dr.Eng. Kostas Karatzas	http://isag.meng.auth.gr/home.html
Spain	Universidad Complutense de Madrid	Jesus Pintor, Maria Asuncion Peral, Basilio Colligris	http://www.ucm.es/centros/webs/euoptica
Greece	IDEC S.A	Xenia Chronopoulou	http://www.idec.gr/