After visiting the U of A as a Fulbright Scholar in 2017, professor Victoria Mascaluic returned to the Republic of Moldova eager to share new insights about project-based learning and STEM education.

Mascaluic teaches English as a Foreign Language to pre-service teachers —those studying to be educators — at Alecu Russo State University. She also works with educators already teaching in classrooms across Moldova and neighboring Ukraine and Romania.

Mascaluic, a thought leader in her region, visited the U of A to learn more about integrating STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) concepts into K-12 schools. She's been instrumental in helping area teachers create lesson plans and projects since then. And her university students ­— the next generation of teachers — are learning how to implement those hands-on projects before they graduate and lead classrooms of their own.

Mascaluic advocates for project-based STEAM learning because it promotes a growth mindset.

"You have to encourage kids to be thinkers," she said. "The next step is to make them creative thinkers."

Mascaluic returned to the U of A as a Fulbright Scholar in January 2021 to continue working with U of A professors who teach STEM. She's also exploring how her university and the U of A could collaborate through a newly-formed Eastern European Study Aboard program. She said it might not be financially feasible for Moldovan students to travel to Arkansas, but perhaps they could take virtual courses. The plan is for the first U of A students to travel to Moldova as early as May 2022.

U of A professor Michael Daugherty remained in touch with Mascaluic after she left Arkansas in 2017. He visited Moldova later that year as a Fulbright Fellow. The two have collaborated during the pandemic, brainstorming virtual STEM lessons and challenges for K-12 students and practicing teachers in Moldova.

"He has been a great source of inspiration for these events," Mascaluic said, noting that Daugherty also conducted a variety of virtual STEM workshops for teachers in her area.

Mascaluic is excited to take new ideas back to Moldova in July. She's especially hopeful that Moldovan students will gain crucial skills as a result of learning STEM concepts throughout their K-12 years.

"This is fantastic for Moldova," Mascaluic said. "It is making the kids more attractive for the labor market and gives them the soft skills they need to succeed."