The Short Advanced Programme (SAP) ‘Designing and implementing STEAM-activities in the future innovation lab of your university (in an extracurricular context) – second edition’ is coördinated by Howest University of Applied Sciences (Howest) and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (NHL Stenden). 

This programme is designed to train future facilitators — including students, researchers, educators, and external professionals — to design and implement high-quality STEAM activities for children and young people aged 6 to 18 within the extracurricular setting of the university’s Future Innovation Lab. Participants are not expected to have prior experience with STEAM education or activity design, but they are motivated to become active contributors to the development and implementation of youth programming in their institution’s lab. 

Context:

One of the greatest challenges in Europe today is the declining interest among young people in science and technology — particularly when choosing a future career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). At the same time, there is a pressing societal need to foster 21st-century competences such as critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving. These skills are crucial if future generations are to navigate and address the “wicked problems” — the complex societal challenges — of our rapidly changing world. 

STEAM education — which integrates the arts and creativity into STEM — offers a powerful approach to developing these competences. Through playful, informal, and curiosity-driven experiences in extracurricular settings, children and young people can engage with science and technology in a way that lowers participation thresholds, strengthens intrinsic motivation, and enables talent discovery. 

Higher education institutions are uniquely positioned to support this ecosystem. Students, researchers, and educators can bring young people into contact with the frontiers of science, challenge outdated stereotypes about who “belongs” in STEM, and serve as role models in accessible and inspiring ways. 

Within the RUN-EU (Regional University Network – European University) alliance, each partner university hosts a Future Innovation Lab. These labs function as creative and experimental spaces that connect higher education to society. By building regional and international partnerships, they act as hubs for community-driven innovation, youth engagement, and lifelong learning. 

This Short Advanced Programme (SAP) supports the mission of the Future Innovation Labs by training volunteers, university staff, and external professionals to design and facilitate STEAM activities for youth aged 6 to 18 in an extracurricular context. Through this programme, participants become ambassadors of scientific culture: sparking curiosity, building bridges between universities and local communities, and helping to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, artists, and critical thinkers. 

Objectives:

Participants collaboratively develop a shared and nuanced understanding of STEAM by exploring key questions such as: 

• What does STEAM truly encompass, and how does it go beyond traditional STEM education? 
• What unique benefits does STEAM bring to extracurricular learning environments? 
• In what ways does STEAM education foster essential 21st-century skills like creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration? 
• How can high-quality STEAM activities be designed that are purposefully tailored to specific youth target groups and rooted in the seven guiding STEAM design principles? 

Working in small, international teams, participants co-create a STEAM activity that is carefully adapted to their chosen target group and context. Throughout the process, theoretical insights from morning knowledge sessions are progressively integrated into their design work. A human-centered design approach guides every step, ensuring a strong connection between research, context analysis, and practical design choices. 

Each team receives individual coaching and gains hands-on experience with effective tools and methods that enhance the quality and impact of their STEAM activities. 

The long-term goal of this programme is to inspire and empower young people’s interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, thereby contributing to a more vibrant and inclusive scientific and technological culture in our communities and regions. 

Programme:

During the online preparatory phase, participants are introduced to the basic principles of STEAM education, inquiry-based learning, and design-based learning through online sessions and individual tasks. They map local organisations that promote youth engagement in STEAM and choose one of them as a practice partner to pilot their activity later in the programme. At the same time, they analyse a specific youth target group to better understand their needs, interests, and learning context. 

The intensive face-to-face week takes place in ‘De Mind- and Makerspace’ in Bruges (Howest) and follows a clear rhythm: each morning starts with interactive sessions focused on knowledge exchange, hands-on exploration of tools and methods, and peer learning. In the afternoons, participants work in international “atelier” teams, coached by experienced facilitators. These atelier sessions provide structured time for applying the learned concepts to the real-world design of a STEAM activity, which will later be tested with the selected youth target group. 

Throughout the week, participants deepen their understanding of: 

• STEAM education: its vision, core principles, and relevance in out-of-school settings 
• The Engineering Design Process as a guiding framework for iterative creation 
• Inquiry-Based and Design-Based Learning methods to foster curiosity and creativity 
• Human-Centred Design and Design Thinking, including context analysis, persona development, empathy-based prototyping, and user testing 
• Facilitation skills tailored to diverse learner needs, including coaching strategies, reflection techniques, and inclusive practices 

This hands-on and iterative structure mirrors the human-centred approach participants are expected to apply in their final activity design. Continuous peer and mentor feedback during the ateliers ensures that each team’s concept is both theoretically grounded and practically relevant within the context of their university’s Future Innovation Lab. 

This second edition of the course is significantly strengthened based on lessons learned during the first implementation. The programme has been iteratively redesigned — applying the same human-centred and reflective principles it promotes — with stronger didactic foundations, better-integrated tools, and refined activity structures. Several adaptations that proved successful during the first on-site edition in Burgos have now been built into the programme from the start. 

The ultimate goal of this SAP is to build capacity for sustainable, high-quality STEAM programming in the Future Innovation Labs across the RUN-EU alliance. Participants leave the course equipped to take up an active role in the further development of their university’s lab, whether as trained facilitators, student assistants, or volunteer contributors. The mission of the Future Innovation Lab is to inspire and empower young people’s interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, thereby contributing to a more vibrant and inclusive scientific and technological culture in our communities and regions. 

Programme at a glance

• PART 1 - Session 1 - Introduction, overview course and assesment (online)
  04 Nov 2025 - 04 Nov 2025
  19h - 19h15: Introduction & Course Overview: Introduction, project outline, learning objectives 19h15 - 19h45: Overview skills addressed, learning outcomes and evaluation setup: Individual learning portfolio, including selfreflection and peerreflection, mentor feedback and assesment 19h45 - 19h55: Break 19h55 - 20h25: Teamwork - breakout rooms: We will discuss in breakout rooms, in smaller groups, what our backgrounds are, how these backgrounds can add value to STEAM activities, what motivates us, and what we hope to achieve with this SAP. 20h25 - 20h30: Questions + TASK: Participants will write a reflection in their personal portfolio on their motivations, relevant personal background (such as studies or hobbies), and what they hope to achieve through this SAP.
• PART 1 - Session 2 - Human centered approach through methods and task context and target group mapping (online)
  10 Nov 2025 - 10 Nov 2025
  19h - 19h15: Review and recap session 1: 'Individual learning portfolio: reflection task overview. 19h15 - 19h45: Lecture Human centred apporach thourgh methods: Design thinking and other methods. Mapping target group and context for piloting steam activity in December in own context 19h45 - 19h55: Break 19h55 - 20h25: Explanation online task mapping target group and local context: Investigate and map out the target group and the local context where the STEAM activity will be piloted 20h25 - 20h30: Questions + TASK: Mapping target group and local context where the STEAM activity will be piloted.
• PART 1 - Session 3 - What is STEAM about? (online)
  18 Nov 2025 - 18 Nov 2025
  19h - 19h15: Review and recap session 2: 'Design thinking and other methods to connect target group and context. 19h15 - 19h45: Lecture: STEAM basics: Overview of STEAM disciplines, 7 STEAM principles & Political and historical perspectives on STEAM education 19h45 - 19h55: Break 19h55 - 20h25: Lecture STEAM in leisure time: STEAM in leisure time with examples from the STEAMHIVE-network 20h25 - 20h30: Questions + TASK: Reflective assignment on STEAM relevance
• PART 1 - Session 4 - Inquiry-Based Learning (online)
  25 Nov 2025 - 25 Nov 2025
  19h - 19h15: Review and recap session 3: STEAM disciplines, 7 STEAM principles, STEAM in leisure time 19h15 - 19h45: Lecture Inquiry based learning basics: Overview of the inquiry-based learning cycle, hands-on examples to initiate the learning cycle, the natural way humans learn, and strategies for stimulating curiosity and a willingness to learn in learners. 19h45 - 19h55: Break 19h55 - 20h25: Teamwork: breakout rooms: Analyzing a recorded situation and applying the inquiry-based cycle to the actions and conversations of the students and the teacher. Transferring the inquiry-based learning cycle to one's own experience. 20h25 - 20h30: Questions + TASK: Design a small inquiry based learning activitie for a friend, brother, sister or familiy member. Let this person test the activity and reflect on proces of the activity in wat went well and what could be improved related to the inquiry based learning cycle.
• PART 1 - Session 5 - Design-Based Learning (online)
  02 Dec 2025 - 02 Dec 2025
  19h- 19h15: Introduction of this session: Overview of the inquiry-based learning cycle, the natural way humans learn, and stimulating curiosity. 19h15 - 19h45: Lecture Design Based Learning Basics: Starting with a design-based question and designing an improvement for an object. Principles of design-based learning. 19h45 - 19h55: Break 19h55 - 20h25: Lecture: Guiding design based learning and activities, type of quistions and focus point of asking questions, focus points for creating design based learning activities. 20h25 - 20h30: Representation of the physical week + question time + TASK: Create a 'design based learning' activity based on your own hobby: How can you teach some-one else about your hobby, using the design based learning cycle in 15 minutes? Bring the activity to the fysical week. Think about how you can guide someone else though this activity with only question while this person learns about your hobby
• Hands-on face-to-face week to co-create a STEAM activity for youth in teams (in person)
  08 Dec 2025 - 12 Dec 2025 : De Mind- and Makerspace Brugge Belgium
  Each morning starts with interactive sessions focused on knowledge exchange, hands-on exploration of tools and methods, and peer learning. In the afternoons, participants work in international “atelier” teams, coached by experienced facilitators. These atelier sessions provide structured time for applying the learned concepts to the real-world design of a STEAM activity, which will later be tested with the selected youth target group.
• PART 3 - Pilot STEAM activity in own context (online)
  15 Dec 2025 - 19 Jan 2026
  Implement the developed activity in your own context. Assignment: Photo Presentation for Peer Review Preparation Create a short presentation of 5 photos without text that together tell the story of your activity. Choose your images based on the following prompts: A photo showing the space and material setup clearly. A photo capturing interaction, collaboration, or enthusiasm among the children. A photo of something you are proud of. A photo of something you would do differently next time. A photo of your choice, for example, a surprising moment, a learning moment, a detail, or a challenge.
• PART 3 - Session 6: feedback - reflection pilot session STEAM-activity (online)
  17 Feb 2026 - 27 Jan 2025
  19h - 19h15: Plenary Welcome 19h15 - 20h15: Peer review: breakout rooms in mixed groups 20h15 - 20h30: Plenary synthesis

Learning outcomes

By the end of this Short Advanced Programme, students will be able to:

1. Apply STEAM education in a meaningful extracurricular context

By the end of the programme, participants can explain the importance of STEAM for youth aged 6–18, develop a personal vision on STEAM, and apply at least three STEAM principles and multiple STEAM disciplines in a meaningful activity design.  

• Explain the relevance of STEAM in leisure and youth contexts. 
• Understand the STEAM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) and integrate at least two in a self-designed activity. 
• Apply the 7 STEAM design principles in the self-designed activity. 
• Develop and express a basic personal vision on the value of STEAM for youth development and 21st-century skills. 

2. Analyse the local context and youth target group

Participants investigate and map the needs, motivations and characteristics of a youth target group (6–18) and the local STEAM landscape of the Future Innovation Lab (of their own University). 

• Identifies local organisations and resources relevant to STEAM. 
• Analyse the Future Innovation Lab of the University. 
• Analyse the needs, motivations and characteristics of a self-selected youth target group aged 6 to 18. 
• Translate the target group analysis into a clear and concrete persona. 
• Analyses sociocultural and contextual factors affecting engagement. 
• Tailors activities based on target group insights. 

3. Design and implement a human-centered STEAM activity

Participants design, test and refine a STEAM activity for a self-chosen target group in a specific out-of-school context (Future Innovation Lab of the university) using design thinking and human-centered design. 

• Use insights from context and target group analysis. 
• Incorporates inquiry-based learning and design-based learning. 
• Iterates using peer/mentor feedback and pilot results. 
• Connects to learners’ experiences through empathy and prototyping. 

4. Facilitate and Coach learners in STEAM activities

Participants develop and apply effective facilitation strategies to guide youth through STEAM activities in an engaging and supportive way. 

• Demonstrate coaching approaches that foster motivation and curiosity. 
• Adjust facilitation style based on learner needs. 
• Create an inclusive and motivating environment. 
• Use time management, questioning techniques, and reflection tools.

5. Reflect, collaborate and communicate effectively in an international team

Participants engage actively in interdisciplinary and intercultural teams, collaboratively reflecting on their learning process, sharing diverse perspectives, and communicating project outcomes clearly to varied audiences. 

• Maintain a personal learning portfolio with feedback and reflection. 
• Participate constructively in team sessions and intercultural exchanges. 
• Co-create solutions by integrating diverse viewpoints within the team. 
• Give and receive peer feedback focused on design quality, implementation, and facilitation style. 
• Communicate project goals, progress, and outcomes confidently to both team members and external stakeholders. 
• Present project outcomes with clarity and confidence. 
• Reflect collectively on challenges and learning moments during intervision sessions to enhance team performance and project impact. 

Selection criteria

Selection will be based on: compliant to the prerequisites, order of submission, motivation and a balanced representation of the RUN-EU member institutions. The total number of participants to be selected is 40.

Product label: SAP-STEAMPRO-02