The MenteSTEAM challenge is redefining how young students approach scientific and environmental problems in the classroom. By combining creativity, teamwork, and hands-on experimentation, this new initiative empowers Primary and Secondary students to become real-world problem-solvers. At a time when STEAM education plays a crucial role in preparing future innovators, challenges like MenteSTEAM offer a glimpse into the potential of student-led innovation.
In Spain, this competition is gaining national momentum and for an exciting reason. The winning Secondary School team will go on to represent the country in the European STEAMbrace Contest in 2026, giving students a unique opportunity to present their ideas on an international stage. Through the MenteSTEAM challenge, STEAM learning becomes not only educational, but transformative.
What is the MenteSTEAM Challenge?
The MenteSTEAM challenge is an educational initiative created by Grupo Edelvives in collaboration with Academia de Inventores. Its purpose is simple yet powerful:
to invite students to develop innovative, practical solutions to real environmental problems.
Rather than learning passively, students take an active role in understanding environmental challenges, researching their causes, and proposing creative solutions. From plastic reduction and energy efficiency to climate resilience and biodiversity preservation, participating teams work on impactful topics that matter to their local communities and to the planet.
The challenge is open to:
- Primary School students, who explore creative and accessible ways to solve environmental issues.
- Secondary School students (ESO), who tackle more complex, research-driven proposals and compete for the chance to represent Spain in STEAMbrace’s European Contest.
Why MenteSTEAM is important for young learners
The MenteSTEAM challenge goes beyond traditional science learning. It invites students to work like young engineers, designers, and innovators. This approach brings several benefits:
- It makes STEAM learning meaningful: Students are confronted with problems that affect their real environment (pollution, waste, water use, climate change), motivating them to propose solutions that could truly make a difference.
- It strengthens critical thinking and creativity: Through brainstorming, prototyping, and artistic expression, students explore different ways to present their ideas. This aligns perfectly with the STEAM philosophy: blending technical reasoning with creative thinking.
- It promotes teamwork and communication: Students develop their projects collaboratively, learning to divide tasks, discuss ideas, and present their solutions clearly. These skills are essential in academic and professional contexts.
- It opens doors to future opportunities: The challenge introduces students to fields like environmental science, engineering, robotics, design, or sustainability. For many young participants, this becomes a first spark of inspiration for future STEAM careers.
A gateway to Europe: connecting MenteSTEAM with STEAMbrace
One of the most exciting aspects of the MenteSTEAM challenge is its connection to the STEAMbrace project. The winning team from the Secondary School level will qualify for the European STEAMbrace Contest, taking place in Spring 2026.
This connection brings important benefits:
- Students gain visibility at a Europe-wide competition, sharing space with teams from multiple countries.
- Their project becomes part of a broader conversation about innovation, sustainability, and creativity.
- Young participants get to experience what international STEAM collaboration looks like, a core principle of STEAMbrace.
For STEAMbrace, the integration of MenteSTEAM is aligned with its mission to expand STEAM opportunities across Europe while addressing gender gaps and promoting inclusive educational frameworks. Challenges like this increase access, encourage participation, and place students at the centre of the innovation ecosystem.
How teachers benefit from the MenteSTEAM challenge
Teachers are essential for the success of the MenteSTEAM challenge. Through structured classroom guidance, they help students connect academic concepts with practical problem-solving.
Educators also receive:
- Clear instructions and support materials for implementing the challenge.
- Freedom to adapt the project to their classroom’s needs.
- Opportunities to integrate STEAM methodologies in an accessible and motivating way.
- A platform to showcase their students’ effort and creativity.
By participating, teachers become ambassadors of innovation within their schools, and many discover new ways to approach interdisciplinary learning.
Driving creativity through the STEAM philosophy
The MenteSTEAM challenge fully embodies what STEAM stands for:
- Science to understand a problem
- Technology to design or test solutions
- Engineering to structure their projects
- Art to represent and communicate ideas creatively
- Mathematics to measure, evaluate, and justify results
Blending these elements encourages students to think holistically. Whether they are building prototypes, designing posters, filming videos, or analysing real data, the experience feels engaging and empowering, exactly what young learners need to stay motivated in STEAM pathways.
Looking ahead: a new generation of innovators
As the MenteSTEAM challenge unfolds across Spain, it is already showing the potential to become a national reference in creative STEAM learning. Schools are joining enthusiastically, teachers are embracing the multidisciplinary approach, and students are producing impressive, thoughtful solutions to environmental issues.
As the competition advances toward the European STEAMbrace Contest in 2026, excitement continues to grow. The MenteSTEAM challenge is more than a competition, it is an invitation for students to believe in their ideas, use their voice, and shape a better future.
The MenteSTEAM challenge represents a new way of engaging young learners with environmental science, creativity, and innovation. By bridging local classrooms with a European platform, it gives students the confidence and opportunity to dream big. This initiative proves that when STEAM education embraces imagination, teamwork, and real-world impact, students don’t just learn, they transform.
