Challenge-based experimentation on BIOdegradable RECIpeS in lower secondary education

"<< Background >>RECIBIOS was driven by the urgent need to align lower secondary education with the goals of the European Green Deal and the economic realities of the 21st century. We identified critical gaps between EU-level sustainability objectives and the practical curricula available in our schools.-Curriculum alignment: There was a significant lack of modern STEM courses for students aged 12-14 that focused on the emerging sector of bioeconomy and green STEM fields.-Teacher Upskilling: Educators were not equipped with the specialized knowledge and tools to teach these complex, interdisciplinary topics. A clear need existed for professional development and high-quality, ready-to-use teaching materials.-Student Preparedness: To meet future challenges like climate change and resource scarcity, students must develop ""green skills"" and an innovative, scientific mindset. We needed to transform their perspective from seeing ""waste"" as a problem to seeing it as a valuable ""resource.""Our core motivation was to bridge this gap. We applied for this project to co-create a tangible, innovative, and accessible STEM course to inspire a new generation of environmentally-conscious students, preparing them for future careers in a sustainable economy.<< Objectives >>Our overall objective was to foster innovative STEM thinking in lower secondary students (aged 12-14) by having them explore the potential of waste as a resource for creating new bio-based, biodegradable materials.To achieve this, we set clear, specific goals:1.For Students: We wanted to cultivate their innovative thinking and practical STEM skills. A key goal was to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the circular economy and bioeconomy through challenge-based experimentation inside classroom.2.For Teachers: We aimed to directly enhance the professional competences of educators in the field of bioeconomy. This meant equipping them with the specialized knowledge and pedagogical tools to confidently teach complex, interdisciplinary sustainability topics.3.For the Community: We sought to facilitate a new dialogue between schools, bioeconomy experts, academics, and local organizations. Our goal was to foster new networking opportunities, particularly in rural territories for the Greek partners, connecting scientific innovation directly with our local communities.Ultimately, our aim was to produce a complete educational package that would empower teachers, inspire students, and connect with real market experts.<< Implementation >>To achieve our objectives, our implementation was structured around five core, interconnected activities.First, we established a foundation of expert knowledge by co-creating a database of 10 biodegradable material recipes, sourced from bioeconomy experts. This was published on a dedicated educational Instagram channel to engage our target groups.Second, we developed a comprehensive, transdisciplinary challenge-based STEAM course. This playbook was co-designed to translate complex bioeconomy concepts into practical, real-world challenges for 12-14 year-old students.Third, we empowered our educators. We organized dedicated teacher training workshops in both Greece and Belgium, equipping 16+ teachers with the skills and confidence to deliver the new curriculum. This also served as a crucial validation step to ensure that our approach fits into the secondary education level.Fourth, we executed the project in the classroom. Teachers piloted the new course with over 60 students across both countries, receiving support from our expert organizations. This phase was enhanced by a student exchange program, allowing GR and BE students to collaborate. A continuous dissemination strategy ensured our results reached a wide audience.<< Results >>The project's concrete results are a set of practical, transferable outputs designed for direct use by other educators and schools.Our primary output is the ""RECIBIOS Challenge-Based STEAM Course,"" a comprehensive pedagogical playbook for lower secondary teachers. Co-designed by bioeconomy experts and educators, it serves as a practical, standalone curriculum to be provided as a complementary source in lower secondary education. For maximum transferability, the course is available in English, Dutch, and Greek.This course is directly supported by our second key output: a dynamic, open-access database of 10 biodegradable material recipes. This resource is publicly available via our educational Instagram channel, with each recipe enhanced by its own interactive video clearly demonstrating the creation process.These two core outputs, (1) the multilingual course playbook and (2) the video-supported recipe database on Instagram, form a complete, freely accessible ecosystem for any educator wanting to introduce bioeconomy and circular economy concepts into their classroom."