As highlighted in Mario Draghi’s report on European competitiveness, quantum technologies will define our future. But how can teachers bring such a complex topic into everyday classrooms?
Science on Stage Europe provides an answer with the initiative « Quantum Computing in STEM Education ». Designed by teachers for teachers across various STEM subjects, this project makes the key concepts of quantum technology accessible to students from the age of 14, strengthening their scientific literacy and offering early insights into emerging study and career paths.
A teacher-led approach to modern STEM literacy
This project is built on the European network of « Science on Stage », which connects over 100,000 teachers every year across 34 countries, with 90% of them sharing its teaching ideas in their own training sessions.
The « Quantum Computing in STEM Education » project started in February 2024 and was completed in June 2026. The initiative has brought together 20 secondary teachers from 15 countries. Coordinated by Science on Stage Germany and supported by the Wilhelm und Else Heraeus Foundation, the team collaborated with university researchers and quantum industry experts to create and test materials directly in schools.
Designed for upper secondary students (with activities suitable from 14), these open resources cover physics, mathematics, and computer science in both English and German. They help classes connect school lessons to real career paths while reaching the foundational A2 level of the European Competence Framework for Quantum Technologies, aligning with the fifth pillar of the 2025 Quantum Europe Strategy on building "quantum skills".
How the practice works
The platform offers a flexible way of learning that aims to compliment the national curriculum. Teachers can choose ready-to-use lesson packs or units that work best for their students and adapt them to their own timetable. Every unit is ready to use with straightforward explanations, visuals and exercises.
The content is organised around four themes:
Basic Concepts of Quantum Computing: Breaks down fundamental ideas like states, superposition, and measurement using accessible math or wave physics and interactive experiments.
From Bits to Quantum Leaps: Guides students from binary digits and standard logic gates to how qubits behave using hands-on Arduino circuits and The Quantum Machine, an interactive online tool for building quantum circuits without code.
The Supremacy of Quantum Algorithms: Shows how quantum computers solve difficult problems faster than normal machines. It introduces famous quantum algorithms and modern challenges like RSA encryption, with both coding and low-tech options.
Applications and Realisations: Brings abstract concepts to life with concrete experiments like laser light, polarising filters, and interferometers. The students visualise how physical systems implement quantum phenomena.
Flexible pathways for every classroom
The platform provides five predefined pathways designed around specific subjects and tailored for different age groups and available class time, making lesson planning easier for teachers.
Physics: Pathway I focuses on physical intuition and optical experiments with minimal math, while Pathway II explores deeper computational applications.
Mathematics: Connects school algebra, vectors, matrices, and probability to concrete quantum computing applications.
Computer Science: Pathway I introduces quantum concepts through simulations, while Pathway II focuses on algorithms, circuit design, and testing code on real quantum computers (via Qiskit and IQM Resonance).
Grants for teacher workshops
To help bring these materials into classrooms, the initiative provides financial support for teacher training. Educators who want to introduce the practice to their colleagues can apply for grants to host a workshop, an in-person seminar at their own school, or an online training course. This encourages peer-to-peer learning, allowing teachers to exchange experiences and learn from others who have already used the activities with their students.
Why it matters: Lasting benefits for schools
Cutting-edge technologies too often struggle to find their way into secondary school classrooms, as teachers feel unprepared and may lack of knowledge or practical resources needed to introduce them. This initiative addresses this gap by making Quantum technologies more accessible through:
Taking the fear out of an intimidating subject: Students build confidence before seeing difficult formulas. They experience quantum effects directly to keep them curious and avoid being overwhelmed. It shows them that modern science is within their reach.
Empowering non-specialist teachers: Educators do not need a background in quantum physics to teach these units. The complete lesson plans and simple activities let anyone run a single 45-minute session, follow a full pathway, or mix units to fit their own needs.
Local funding and wide peer outreach: The materials were shaped and improved directly with hundreds of teachers during the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, through Science on Stage festivals and partnerships with the German Physical Society and with Stifterverband. This teacher-to-teacher dynamic continues at a local level, thanks to the training grants that help educators to share the resources locally with their peers.
Relevance for other contexts: Preparing Europe for the quantum era
Europe is investing heavily to take the lead in quantum technologies, a goal highlighted by the work on the upcoming European Quantum Act. Reaching this leadership will be impossible without a qualified workforce, but right now Europe simply does not have enough skilled people to meet the industry’s needs. This project offers a way to close that gap. Beyond just teaching science, it shows teenagers that quantum technology is a field with exciting jobs for their future. Through the presentation of career guides, students discover what it looks like to work in cybersecurity, renewable energy, or medical design.
With free resources that can easily fit into any timetable, the project proves that preparing Europe’s next quantum generation can start in any classroom right now.
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