RAiSE and Excelerate: Celebrating a decade of partnership and impact

While RAiSE and Excelerate were created to meet different challenges, they shared the same belief: lasting change happens when people are trusted, supported and given the opportunity to lead it.

Launched in 2016, RAiSE was developed in partnership with Education Scotland, the Scottish Government and local authorities to strengthen STEM learning in primary schools. Over ten years, the programme supported more than 34,000 practitioner engagements across 27 local authorities and delivered more than 3,500 professional learning events, helping teachers grow in confidence and inspiring more young people to see science, technology, engineering and maths as part of their future.

Excelerate, launched in 2019, focused on secondary education across Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Angus. Working alongside 19 schools, the programme explored new approaches to leadership, project-based learning, coaching, oracy and employer engagement. More than 900 employers and community partners contributed to learning, creating almost 2,800 curriculum experiences that connected young people with the world beyond the classroom.

Together, the two programmes reached thousands of educators, hundreds of schools and countless young people, demonstrating what can be achieved through long-term partnerships and shared ambition.
 

As the RAiSE and Excelerate programmes come to a close, the learning they created continues in classrooms, schools and communities across Scotland.

As the foundation begins its next chapter, the learning from RAiSE and Excelerate will continue to shape how we work: investing in people, building trusted partnerships and supporting ideas that create lasting change.

Sarah reflects: "One of the things we're proudest of is that this work doesn't stop because the funding does. The relationships created remain, the insight gained is used and the learning continues. That's what lasting impact looks like."