04 June 2026
Bilbao
The Inspira STEAM programme, aimed at encouraging scientific and technological vocations among girls and young women, has reached its 10th anniversary. What began in 2016 as a pioneering initiative has now become a successful initiative implemented in the Basque Country, Galicia, Asturias, La Rioja, Aragon, Catalonia, Madrid, Castellón, Murcia, the Canary Islands and Andalusia, as well as in Chile and Argentina. Based on group mentoring activities, the project enables Year 6 primary school pupils and Year 7 secondary school students to reflect on and gain a better understanding of STEAM fields, alongside volunteers working in research, science and technology.
Over its ten editions, the programme has involved 3,226 female mentors and 384 male mentors who have worked directly with 27,372 girls and 26,813 boys from 550 schools. The aim is to broaden perspectives, break down stereotypes and bring STEAM role models closer to younger pupils in order to remove biases that influence career choices. In the last academic year alone, the project engaged 204 mentors and 3,200 students across 58 schools in the Basque Country.
The Ministry of Education has recently recognised the leadership of this educational project with first prize in the “STEAM Alliance Awards 2024”. This is the latest in a long list of awards and recognitions received over its ten editions, which highlights the significant work carried out by the hundreds of people involved in this initiative. In addition, more than 50 organisations have signed the Inspira STEAM Commitment, through which they facilitate the participation of women and men from their organisations as mentors in the project and raise awareness within their communities about the gender gap in science and technology.
Among these outstanding awards are the Sekeirox 2021-2022 Award, the Radio Bilbao and Laboral Kutxa Award for Excellence, the Zigari Sariak 2021 Award: Empowerment and Change of Values, STEAM Euskadi Sariak Award (1st edition), the Burber Sariak Award, (17th edition): Women and Technology Project category or the Dona TIC Award.
Celebration and appreciation event
The University of Deusto held the 10th anniversary celebration and the closing event of the 2025–2026 edition on 5 June. The event was a tribute to all the people and entities that have made it possible to reach thousands of girls and boys throughout this decade, especially mentors, described as the “heart of the project”, as well as schools and partner organisations.
After a welcome address delivered by journalist África Baeza, the coordinator of Inspira STEAM, M. Luz Guenaga, presented an evaluation of the results achieved over the past academic year and across the ten editions, while highlighting the programme’s track record and recognition. The event also included speeches by institutional representatives, as well as a lecture by sociologist Carmen Ruiz, who specialises in gender-based violence among adolescents and young people.
Among the participants were the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Andoni Eguíluz; the Regional Deputy for Employment, Social Cohesion and Equality of Biscay, Teresa Laespada; the General Coordinator for Business Innovation at Innobasque, Gotzon Bernaola; and the Deputy Minister for Digital Administration and General Services of the Basque Government (EJIE), Agustín Zubillaga.
Each year, more people join this initiative, which is supported by the Basque Innovation Agency, Innobasque, and sponsored by the Provincial Councils of Biscay and Álava, BBK, the SPRI Group, the Technology Park of the Basque Country, Lantik, EJIE (the Basque Government IT Society), Ormazabal Velatia, Sidenor, Arteche, Ner Group, Oesía Group and ABB.
