Final conference

SEED2STEM Final Conference: Celebrating the Future of STEM and Agriculture Education

A milestone moment in Zagreb marks the successful conclusion of an Erasmus+ journey

On 11 June 2026, the Technical University of Zagreb (TVZ) hosted the Final Conference of the SEED2STEM: Planting the Future of Education project — a landmark event that brought together 35 participants from academia, youth organisations, and international institutions to celebrate the outcomes of more than two years of collaborative work across five European countries.

The conference served as both a culmination and a showcase: an opportunity to present the project's four flagship educational outputs to a broader audience, demonstrate their real-world application in youth work, and open a conversation about the future of STEM and agricultural education in non-formal learning contexts.

Final Conference Video

A Room Full of Changemakers

The Final Conference brought together a diverse community of stakeholders — representatives of TVZ as the hosting institution and project partner, staff from domestic and international youth organisations, and practitioners who work directly with young people on a daily basis. Their presence underscored what SEED2STEM has always been about: building bridges between different educational worlds and between people who share a commitment to meaningful, future-oriented learning.

The event was opened with welcoming addresses from two key figures. Romina Galović Piškuloć, Project Manager at the Association for Sustainable Development Pozitiva Samobor and lead coordinator of SEED2STEM, addressed participants on behalf of the project consortium. Lidija Tepeš Golubić, Vice-Dean at TVZ, welcomed attendees on behalf of the host institution, reflecting on the university's role as a bridge between formal higher education and the non-formal youth sector.

The conference also welcomed distinguished guests whose attendance highlighted the project's broader significance. Georgi Georgiev, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Croatia, represented the international diplomatic community and the strong transnational spirit behind SEED2STEM. Ana Vrbanić, Senior Adviser in the Youth Department at the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes, brought the perspective of the national Erasmus+ agency and offered a broader view of the project's contribution to the Croatian and European youth education landscape.

Four Results, One Vision

The conference programme unfolded over three engaging hours, taking participants on a journey through the project's development, its educational philosophy, and the concrete tools it has produced.

The first part of the programme provided an overview of SEED2STEM — its origins, the challenges it set out to address, and the partnerships that made it possible. Presenters outlined how the project was conceived as a response to a dual gap: young people's declining interest in STEM fields on one hand, and the underutilisation of agriculture as a compelling, hands-on context for STEM learning on the other.

Participants then had the opportunity to explore each of the project's four intellectual outputs in depth.

AGRO STEM Platform

The AGRO STEM Platform is a freely accessible digital hub that brings together educational resources, tools, and materials at the intersection of STEM and sustainable agriculture. Designed with both educators and learners in mind, the platform provides a single point of access for all project outputs and supports the ongoing use and adaptation of SEED2STEM materials beyond the project's lifetime.

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AGRO STEM Curriculum

The AGRO STEM Curriculum is the project's most extensive output — a comprehensive non-formal education programme that uses storytelling, hands-on activities, and applied learning to introduce young people to programming (C language), digital technologies, and agricultural concepts. Designed for youth workers and educators, the curriculum combines technical content with creative and experiential methods.

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IOT Curriculum

The IoT Curriculum takes learners into the world of the Internet of Things, guiding them through practical work with microcontrollers (Arduino IDE, ESP32), sensors, digital inputs and outputs, PWM, stepper motors, and communication protocols. Grounded in the context of smart and precision agriculture, the curriculum makes cutting-edge technology tangible and relevant for the youth work.

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AGRO STEM Game

The AGRO STEM Game is an educational game that uses the power of play to engage young people with STEM and agricultural themes. Through gamification, the game creates a low-barrier, motivating entry point into topics that can feel abstract or inaccessible in traditional classroom settings, making it a valuable tool for youth workers looking to spark curiosity and sustain engagement.

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Hands-On at the Demo Stations

One of the highlights of the afternoon was the opportunity to move from presentation to participation. Following the plenary programme, participants were invited to explore a series of demonstration stations, where all four project outputs were on display and available to try firsthand.

Whether testing the game, navigating the online platform, working through a curriculum activity, or experimenting with an IoT device, participants experienced directly what SEED2STEM has been designed to deliver: learning that is practical, meaningful, and genuinely enjoyable. The demo stations sparked lively conversations between the project team and participants, generating valuable feedback and enthusiasm for bringing the materials into real educational contexts.

Formal and Non-Formal Education: Stronger Together

Perhaps the most important message to emerge from the Final Conference is the one that has guided SEED2STEM from its very beginning: that the formal and non-formal education sectors are not in competition — they are complementary, and the most impactful learning happens when they work in genuine partnership.

SEED2STEM is a living proof of that principle. The consortium — led by Pozitiva Samobor (Croatia) and joined by TVZ (Croatia), ARYAS (Romania), Youth Eurasia (Turkey), and Walk Together (Bulgaria) — has shown what becomes possible when a university, youth associations, and NGOs from five countries pool their expertise, experience, and creativity around a shared educational vision.

The project has produced tools that are as relevant in a university lecture hall as they are in a youth centre, a community workshop, or an after-school programme. By rooting STEM in the relatable, urgent, and increasingly important world of sustainable agriculture, SEED2STEM has created pathways into technical and digital learning that young people — particularly those with fewer opportunities — can genuinely see themselves walking.

Looking Ahead

As SEED2STEM draws to a formal close in June 2026, the work it has started is far from over. All four educational outputs remain freely available and open for use, adaptation, and further development by educators, youth workers, and organisations across Europe and beyond. The partnerships forged over the past two and a half years will continue to bear fruit through ongoing collaboration and shared commitment to innovative youth education.

The Final Conference was not just a celebration of what has been achieved — it was an invitation: to pick up these tools, bring them into new contexts, and keep planting seeds for the future.

Co-funded by the European Union

The SEED2STEM: Planting the Future of Education project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme, Key Action 2 – Cooperation Partnerships in Youth (KA220-YOU).

Disclaimer:
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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