The STEAM-Active project was created in response to the increasing demand from industry for innovation and the need for higher education, particularly in engineering, to better prepare students for real-world problem solving. The project focused on improving STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) education by making learning more interdisciplinary, practical, and aligned with labour market needs.

Target groups included:

• University engineering teachers seeking strategies to reduce underachievement and promote STEAM careers, especially among women.
• Engineering students needing more engaging, real-world learning to reduce dropout rates and increase job readiness.
• Women considering STEM careers, who benefit from more inclusive and tailored teaching approaches to address underrepresentation.

Objectives of the project were to:

1. Equip universities with a methodological framework and active teaching strategies to enhance STEM education and address gender gaps.
2. Support lecturers with tools to promote practical, interdisciplinary, problem-solving skills.
3. Deliver reusable and scalable teaching-learning sequences (TLS) based on STEAM methodologies.

Implementation was carried out by a consortium of higher education institutions following a structured work plan aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and embedding innovative teaching practices.