The digital tools bringing climate education to life
Spain: Empowering climate education for a sustainable future
What if every student could invent climate solutions by studying real data?
In Spain, the POWAR STEAM project is bringing this vision to life! Climate education isn’t just a textbook chapter; it’s something students can measure, test and improve.
Based in Barcelona, this initiative designs interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) tools such as the P-BIT mini environmental computer and the POWAR CS climate simulator, providing young people with hands-on access to the science behind climate change. By blending digital skills, sustainability and playful learning, POWAR STEAM helps students become active problem-solvers and future climate leaders.
“We’re not just building devices, we’re building understanding. When students see the data for themselves, they stop memorising and they start asking questions.”
– Pablo Zuloaga, POWAR STEAM Founder & CEO
The European Training Foundation (ETF) is delighted to count this initiative as one of the five finalists in the race for the Green Skills Award 2025. Read on to find out why.
The project
POWAR STEAM is dedicated to educational innovation with a planetary focus. The organisation creates methodologies, workshops and learning tools for communities, schools and homes, blending digital skills, sustainability, and playful learning. By providing young people with hands-on access to the science behind climate change, POWAR STEAM empowers students to become active problem solvers and future climate leaders, driving meaningful change toward a sustainable future.
The ETF has selected this initiative as one of the five finalists for the prestigious Green Skills Award, celebrating its reimagining of climate education as a data-driven, curiosity-led, hands-on learning experience.
Why this initiative stands out:
- Tackles the climate education gap with powerful tools for schools
- Builds STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) fluency through real-time environmental experiments
- Supports teachers with AI-generated learning scenarios aligned to national curricula, the EU Green Skills Framework and the UNESCO Greening Curriculum guidance
- Brings students into active roles as climate explorers, designers and data gatherers
- The development of innovative tools: P-BIT and the POWAR CS (Climate Simulator)
- P-BIT: a colourful, game-like mini computer with environmental sensors, which measures temperature, humidity, air and soil quality, light, and more, no coding required
- POWAR CS: a smart chamber that mimics future weather scenarios (e.g. London in 2050), letting students grow plants under predicted climate conditions.
“Kids learn by playing. When they use these tools, they’re not just absorbing information, they’re discovering relationships between temperature, air quality, water and life itself.”
– Pablo Zuloaga, POWAR STEAM Founder & CEO
- Piloted in 8 schools
- Reached over 350 students
- Involved 50+ teachers
- Supported by AI-generated climate lesson plans linked to national and global sustainability goals
- Aligned with UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership and the EU Green Skills Framework
POWAR STEAM is more than a product: it’s a philosophy rooted in curiosity, critical thinking and creativity.
A recent UNESCO publication suggests that most young people struggle to understand the science behind climate change, and many teachers lack the training and confidence to teach it effectively. POWAR STEAM addresses this gap by equipping students and educators alike with engaging, data-driven tools that bring climate science to life and connect global issues to local contexts.
"We want students to become inventors, not just consumers. To say, ‘How can I use this data to design a better world?’”
– Pablo Zuloaga, POWAR STEAM Founder & CEO
Learning that feels like play
When students explore their school environment with P-BIT, they collect real data, then ask questions:
- Why is this corner of the playground hotter than the rest?
- What happens to soil moisture after a rainstorm?
- Can we reduce humidity inside our classroom?
- Could we grow plants differently in a changing climate?
They don’t just study climate. They test it, debate it and begin constructing their own responses.
Empowering teachers through technology and methodology
POWAR STEAM’s AI-powered tool aligns with national curricula, EU green skills goals and UNESCO frameworks, to produce personalised, practical experiments that teachers can use instantly across subjects ranging from science to art.
“Technology without methodology is just more work for teachers. That’s why we’re building an AI assistant to generate ready-to-use learning scenarios, tailored to what each teacher needs to cover in class."
– Pablo Zuloaga, POWAR STEAM Founder & CEO
From building machines in his garage to leading classrooms with experimental tools, Pablo’s mission is clear: climate action starts with education.
“We want to empower teachers and students with knowledge, skills and tools for a planet-centred future. That future isn’t just for the classroom—it’s for all of us.”
– Pablo Zuloaga, POWAR STEAM Founder & CEO
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