The City Council of Bilbao has participated in the I European Congress on the Future of STEAM Education, held in Göteborg from 3 to 5 February. The Bilbao delegation, led by the Councilor for Youth and Sports,Itxaso Erroteta, presented the municipal strategy Bilbao Gazte STEAM, an innovative model that seeks to promote science and technology education in youth. Invited by the University of the Basque Country (EHU/UPV), Bilbao was recognized as a benchmark in the promotion of these competencies in the non-formal educational environment. (Autor: Gonzalo Alonso de Carlos)
Bilbao in the STEAM Alliance
The congress takes place within the framework of the STEAM Alliance, a European network that seeks to promote education in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics with a gender perspective. As a member of this initiative, Bilbao has shared its experience in creating an educational ecosystem that fosters young talent and equal opportunities. The Alliance brings together institutions, educational centers, companies, cultural and creative industries, as well as researchers and policy makers, with the aim of exchanging knowledge and developing innovative strategies in the teaching of STEAM disciplines. In addition, this network promotes collaboration between European cities to strengthen training in these areas and facilitate the access of vulnerable groups to quality technological education.
A network of STEAM spaces in Bilbao
The Bilbao City Council has been promoting Bilbao Gazte STEAM for years, a strategy that seeks to create an ecosystem of public-private collaboration to promote training in technological skills from an early age. All districts of the city have STEAM spaces of reference, such as La Perrera, Ramoni and Esperantza, where initiatives such as First Lego League, Green Power, World Robot Olympiad or Bizilabe are developed.
The Councilor Itxaso Erroteta stressed that the city wants to position itself as a talent hub that guarantees universal access for children and youth to scientific and technological education. This is a “tool for democratic development and social and economic progress, in a sustainable environment,” she said.
The Congress in Göteborg has served as a platform for Bilbao to share its educational model and learn from other European cities, strengthening its commitment to innovation in education. Participation in this forum reinforces the City Council’s commitment to the development of new educational strategies and international collaboration.
