STENCIL is based on the results of two former European projects: STELLA - Science Teaching in a Lifelong Learning Approach and GRID – Growing interest in the development of teaching science.

The STELLA project (2007-2009) has been funded with support from the European Commission within the Lifelong Learning Programme, taking place from January 2008 to December 2009. It aims at contributing to the improvement of science teaching in European schools, in particular in order to stimulate young people to undertake science studies and carriers.

The STELLA eBook "Science Education in European Schools – Selected Practices from the STELLA Catalogue" illustrates selected practices identified from the STELLA Catalogue of Science Education Initiatives. The countries participating in the STELLA project, i.e. Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy and Portugal, have each contributed with a specific chapter that describes in detail the selected practices chosen for inclusion by the respective country. Moreover, a particular eTwinning section is dedicated to selected practices from the eTwinning programme, included in the STELLA Catalogue.

The STELLA project has extended the results of the former European project GRID by enriching and further developing the Online Catalogue of Science Education Initiatives already created in this framework, and by disseminating it among new users all over Europe.

The GRID project (2004-2006) funded within the framework of the EU Socrates Programme, had the objective of creating a network for the exchange of good practice in the field of science teaching in Europe, at the level of decision makers and schools directly involved in innovation and experimentation in the broad area of science education.

In this frame, an international survey was carried out to identify policies and innovative initiatives all over Europe, with the objective of improving science teaching at school. The results of this survey have been made accessible through two online catalogues which include respectively more than 500 initiatives and 70 reports and recommendations on subjects related to science education.