ERASMUS+ TRAINING: TEACHING WITH A STEAM APPROACH - BRIDGING SCIENCE, ART AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM

This Erasmus+ training course course offers an immersive, hands-on learning experience in the technologically equipped facilities of Opificio Golinelli. Through workshops and practical labs, participants will explore innovative strategies for teaching with a STEAM approach, rethinking their professional and school practices beyond subject boundaries. The program focuses on designing student experiences that are transversal, inclusive, and challenge-based.

Small-group and bottom-up activities will help educators strengthen both their technical skills—such as integrating educational technologies into everyday teaching—and their methodological skills, learning how to foster creativity, autonomy, critical thinking, and collaboration in students.

The course covers key topics including making and tinkering, artificial intelligence in education, virtual and augmented reality, human-centered design, data literacy and storytelling, and scientific inquiry in the lab. Practical workshops and interactive sessions provide a wide range of concepts and methodologies that can be integrated across disciplines, supporting teachers in designing and managing active, engaging learning experiences.

Participants will benefit from an opportunity for immersive training in laboratories, using an inquiry-based approach and applying modern tools and scientific investigation techniques typical of international research centers. Science labs are approached not only as disciplinary spaces, but as interdisciplinary environments that support competency-based learning and creativity.

The training is grounded in the idea that doing and experimenting are fundamental to enjoyable, meaningful, and lifelong learning. It promotes constructive dialogue between science, art, and technology, as well as between the research community and schools at the European level.

Contents and training are designed by G-Lab S.r.l. impresa sociale, a recognized institution for teachers’ training by the Italian Ministry of Education, holding accreditation by the Emilia Romagna Region for lifelong learning and ISO 9001 Quality Certification. The program is tailored to be fully funded by Erasmus+ KA1 funding and ensures the best quality within Erasmus quality standards.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Thanks to this course participants will develop knowledge and skills related to: 

• STEAM-based teaching strategies: design interdisciplinary, challenge-based learning experiences that foster inclusivity and transversal skills.
• Educational technologies: integrate AI, virtual reality, and other digital tools to enhance science teaching and student engagement.
• Hands-on learning methods: use making, tinkering, and experimentation to promote creativity, autonomy, and collaboration.
• Data literacy and storytelling skills: leverage data and narratives to support scientific inquiry and communication.
• Human-centered design in education: create student-centered learning experiences that bridge research, science, and technology with classroom practice.
• Active learning environments: design and facilitate interactive, challenge-based activities that encourage lifelong learning.

COURSE DETAILS

When: 4-8 May 2026
Where: Bologna, Opificio Golinelli
Cost: 550€/participant (includes course materials, certificate of attendance, coffee breaks, lunches from Monday to Friday and a light aperitif on Tuesday).
Participants with a Erasmus+ KA1 grant, will receive support in the validation of the Europass Mobility Document and a certificate in line with Erasmus+ Quality Standards
Target group: lower, upper-secondary school and VET teachers
Language: English
Participants: Minimum 8 – Maximum 28
 

PRE ENROLLMENT FORM (UNTIL APRIL 15TH)
 

PROGRAMME

Day 1 - COURSE INTRODUCTION AND FIRST STEPS INTO STEAM EDUCATION 
From 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

• Registration and welcome session
• Guided tour of Fondazione Golinelli labs and educational spaces
• LEGO Serious Play Workshop: structured discussion on the meaning and practices of STEAM
• Hands-on experimentation: Making and Tinkering experiences
• Retrospective of the day
• Lunch 

Day 2 - DATA AND STORYTELLING WITH ARTISTIC AND HUMANISTIC APPROACH
From 9 a.m to 1 p.m 

• Visit to Scuola delle Idee Marino Golinelli 
• The role of data in personal investigation and meaningful learning
• Hands-on experimentation: Exploring data to connect planetary, local, and personal dimensions through artistic and design perspectives
• Lunch 

From 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• Interactive STEAM city game to discover Bologna’s cultural traits 
• Aperitif

Day 3 - CREATIVE MICROSCOPY: WHERE SCIENCE MEETS ART
From 9 a.m to 1 p.m 

• Vision "Between biology and art": Brief overview of artists and photographers working with microscopy, guided viewing of striking microscopic images as inspiration
• Hands-on experimentation: Optical and stereo microscopes, sample preparation and guided observation through visual prompts
• From Data to Design: Using digital tools to turn raw data into design, creation of visual narratives inspired by the scientific samples
• Lunch

Day 4 - TEACHING WITH AI: TOOLS AND PRACTICES FOR AN ADVANCED USE OF AI
From 9 a.m to 2 p.m 

• AI as a teaching assistant: the Fondazione Golinelli approach and ecosystem of learning environments and digital tools
• Hands-on experimentation: Using generative AI tools to foster competences beyond disciplines
• Reflection: Developing students’ analytical and decision-making skills through AI
• Retrospective of the day
• Lunch

Day 5 - VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY AT SCHOOL
From 9 a.m to 2 p.m 

• Hands-on experimentation: virtual and augmented reality in education, Golinelli Live Virtual Experience
• Ideation Design Workshop: discussion and ideas for creating student activities
• Final evaluation and certification
• Lunch

2026 ERASMUS + TRAINING COURSES 

In 2026, G-Lab S.r.l. Erasmus+ training course offer include the following programs for teachers and education staff:

• ENGAGING CLASSROOMS WITH GAME-BASED LEARNING AND STEAM
  International Summer School planned for 27-31 July 2026. More details and pre-registration here

• ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN EDUCATION
  International Winter School planned for 9-13 NOvember 2026. More details and pre-registration here

   

ABOUT G-LAB AND FONDAZIONE GOLINELLI

Fondazione Golinelli is a unique Italian example of a private and operative foundation, inspired by the model of the American philanthropic foundations. One of its strategic goals is to provide youngsters (especially school students) with guidelines and tools that enable them to grow responsibly, civically and socially, fostering the creation of ethical behavior for a more cohesive society. Fondazione Golinelli is organized in 4 different Areas: Art and Science, School, Enterprise, Research and higher education. With a focus on STEAM education, innovative methodology and entrepreneurial culture, the School Area provides scientific and technological activities at the national level. Among these, labs and workshops to students of all ages (from preschool to university ones), training experiences for teachers and school managers and learning activities for professionals and adults.

The main training, educational and cultural activities of Fondazione Golinelli are hosted at Opificio Golinelli (Bologna, Italy). Due to the numeric dimensions (14.000SQM) and its cultural model, Opificio Golinelli is considered one of the largest experimental laboratories for teaching science and technology as well as a center of national and international importance.

Fondazione Golinelli operates though G-Lal S.r.l. Impresa Sociale, a social enterprise created in 2018 with the aim of enhancing and disseminating the expertise, that Fondazione Golinelli has developed during many years, especially targeting the School and Education sector. Both Fondazione Golinelli and G-Lab are recognized institution for teachers’ training by the Italian Ministry of Education and G-Lab holds accreditation by the Emilia Romagna Region for lifelong learning.

Fondazione Golinelli has been developing applied research on relevant issues like STEAM approach to teaching and learning, digital tools and environments and active learning, on Artificial Intelligence and teaching practices. Since 2018 G-Lab includes an AR and VR Division, which is also in charge of the creation of Golinelli LiVE Live Virtual Experience, a virtual reality simulator for the creation of science laboratory experiences. Since 2022 G-Lab owns and manages a private school, recognized and accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education “Scuola delle Idee Marino Golinelli”, the first STEAM-oriented lower secondary school in Italy.