The ViReal4STEM Project Takes Part in Two International Conferences

Funded by the Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education (SEPIE) through the Erasmus+ Programme (2024-1-ES01-KA220-SCH-000247362), the project brings together an international consortium composed of: University of Burgos (Spain) – Coordinator, University of Jyväskylä (Finland), Gimnazija Antuna Vrančića Institute (Croatia), Siglo22 Foundation (Spain), KVELOCE I+D+I Consultancy (Valencia, Spain), ITsART Training School (Athens, Greece), and 4Experience VR/AR Developers (Bielsko-Biala, Poland).   The coordinator of the project, Dr. Radu Bogdan Toma (University of Burgos), took part in the III International Seminar on Neurodiversity and Emerging Technologies, held on 18–19 March 2025, delivering the keynote lecture “ViReal4STEM: Imagining a Future in STEM through Virtual Reality.” The project was also featured at the II International Congress on STEAM Educational Experiences, held on 28–31 May 2025. Both events gathered hundreds of educators and researchers to share educational practices aimed at improving the quality of education.   At these events, the project team introduced the international consortium, outlined its objectives, and presented the first pilot results from a study conducted to identify gender-related beliefs and stereotypes among teenagers in Spain, Croatia, Greece, and Finland regarding STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). These very beliefs will be the focus of the virtual reality application to be developed within ViReal4STEM. The upcoming app aims to challenge such biases through immersive experiences that confront prejudices, using a gender-sensitive approach designed especially to empower girls and showcase a wide range of professional opportunities in STEM fields free from stereotypes. Sharing these advances at international forums highlights ViReal4STEM’s commitment to the educational community and its ultimate goal: to imagine and build a more equitable and inclusive future for STEM education in Europe.   Useful links: Seminar programme STEAM Congress website Dr. Toma’s lecture