The DIVE into Learning: Inclusive STEAM Education through Low-Cost Underwater Robots project, funded under the Erasmus+ Programme, has officially started, bringing together a unique European consortium committed to making STEM education more accessible, inclusive, and hands-on for secondary education students.This launch marks an important milestone: a long-standing educational practice developed in Catalonia has now grown into an international collaboration with partners from Greece, Portugal, and Spain, connecting research, innovation, and classroom practice across borders.
From local practice to European project: the legacy of CIRS
A core inspiration for this project comes from the Underwater Vision and Robotics Research Center (CIRS) at the University of Girona, which has been developing and refining educational workshops, and summer camps for more than a decade.
Through initiatives such as PRESUB, CIRS has been a pioneer in introducing students and teachers to underwater robotics using low-cost ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles), making advanced STEM experiences accessible in secondary school contexts that often lack specialized resources.
What started as local, hands-on educational experimentation is now scaling into a structured European initiative without losing its original spirit: learning by building, exploring, and experimenting.
Strong foundations: prior collaborations that made this possible
The DIVE project does not start from scratch. It builds on years of successful collaboration between key partners:
- PLOCAN (the Canary Islands) and the University of Girona have previously worked together in FECyT ROVSTEAM, exploring educational approaches to underwater robotics and STEM learning.
- PLOCAN and Arditi (Madeira) also bring strong experience from the EDUROVs initiative, focusing on educational robotics in marine environments.
These shared experiences have laid the groundwork for a consortium that is both ambitious and realistic, combining research excellence with proven educational practice.
A consortium with complementary expertise
What makes DIVE particularly strong is the balance between research institutions, technology platforms, and schools directly involved in classroom practice.
Research & innovation partners
- University of Girona: Brings together the CIRS and the UdiGitalEdu research group. CIRS specializes in underwater robotics education, and low-cost STEAM methodologies based on the PRESUB experience, with a strong focus on hands-on learning. UdiGitalEdu designs educational experiences for children and young people that foster creativity, critical thinking, and positive values, with a strong commitment to inclusive education and attention to disadvantaged and vulnerable learners.
- PLOCAN: International reference in marine technologies and experimental infrastructures, with extensive experience in STEM outreach and ocean science education.
- Arditi: Research centre open to society, working across technology, health, and ocean domains, with strong expertise in educational robotics, EU-funded innovation projects, and EDUROVs-based learning environments.
- Action Synergy (Athens): Organization dedicated to advancing education and community development through innovative, inclusive learning programmes, fostering empowerment and social impact across diverse contexts.
Schools at the core of implementation
Alongside these institutions, four secondary schools from Greece, Portugal, and Spain (the Canary Islands and Catalonia) bring essential experience from the ground. These schools ensure that the project remains deeply connected to real classroom needs, student engagement, and practical feasibility.
Their role is key: transforming research-based tools into meaningful learning experiences for teenagers across different educational systems and cultural contexts.
A promising start
The beginning of DIVE into Learning is more than a formal launch, it is the continuation of years of educational experimentation, collaboration, and shared vision.
There is a strong sense of excitement among all partners: what once started as workshops and summer camps is now becoming a European learning ecosystem that connects research labs, marine technology platforms, and classrooms across the continent.The journey has just begun, but the direction is clear: towards more inclusive, hands-on, and ocean-connected STEAM education in Europe.