On April 29, Escola Secundária Camilo Castelo Branco in Carnaxide hosted a double celebration of science education: the III Encontro dos Clubes de Ciência de Oeiras and the Festival Nacional STEAM Innovation 2026 came together in a single afternoon, bringing over 200 students, teachers, and researchers under one roof.

The event was organised by Município de Oeiras, in collaboration with ITQB NOVA, Instituto Superior Técnico, INESC-ID, InovLabs, NUCLIO, and Agrupamento de Escolas de Carnaxide. Maria João Verdasca, manager of Engenharia para Todos project, a collaboration between Instituto Superior Técnico and INESC-ID, with support from Oeiras Municipality, was part of the organising team and also served on the STEAM Innovation jury.

Throughout the afternoon, student projects from across the country filled the school. From smart cities and robotic arms to programming and environmental monitoring initiatives, students showcased the work developed across Science Clubs, Maker spaces, and Digital Education Laboratories. A jury selected three projects to represent Portugal at the International STEAM Innovation Festival in Matera, Italy, where students will present alongside peers from Greece, Cyprus, and Italy.

The event also marked the culmination of a year-long effort: Engenharia para Todos supported five Science Clubs from Oeiras schools in areas including game design, artificial intelligence, and smart cities development, mentored by INESC-ID and IST students.

“We want to spark curiosity through projects with meaningful learning,” said Maria João Verdasca. For her, the event was more than a showcase, it was a space for schools, scientific institutions, and the community to come together.

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© 2026 INESC-ID. When sharing this article, credit INESC-ID with a link to the original source.

Image: © 2026 “Engenharia para Todos”