STEAM education is a transdisciplinary approach to learning that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics. It evolved from STEM education, which initially focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but later incorporated the arts to emphasize creativity, design thinking, and innovation. The inclusion of the arts helps students develop a more holistic understanding of problem-solving and critical thinking, making STEAM a well-rounded educational framework.

The background of STEAM education is rooted in the recognition that real-world problems require transdisciplinary solutions. STEAM encourages students to apply knowledge from multiple fields to address challenges creatively. This shift aligns with the demands of the modern workforce, where industries increasingly seek employees who can think critically, collaborate across disciplines, and innovate.

The OECD’s Fostering Students' Creativity and Critical Thinking report provides a framework to help teachers integrate these skills into the curriculum. However, many educators feel unprepared due to the lack of a shared professional understanding of how creativity and critical thinking manifest in formal education. STEAM education addresses this gap but remains underutilized. Some fear that emphasizing creativity and critical thinking may detract from core subject knowledge, yet STEAM’s interdisciplinary, hands-on methods reinforce both. Others worry about time constraints and disruptions to traditional structures, but STEAM inherently supports adaptable, inquiry-driven learning. According to the recent published EC’s Communication “A STEM Education Strategic Plan”, a key barrier is the absence of clear models, making implementation difficult.

The STEAM IDEAS’ Square (SIS) is a dynamic environment where science, art, and society intersect to foster creativity, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Designed as a space that encourages idea generation and experimentation, SIS provides students and educators with opportunities to engage in creative problem-solving through performing arts. By integrating artistic expression into STEAM education, SIS creates an immersive learning environment where students FEEL societal needs, IMAGINE novel solutions, CREATE within the school, and SHARE their outcomes with the broader community.

This circular collaborative setting allows learners to explore scientific and technological concepts through storytelling, movement, music, and dramatic performances, making abstract ideas more tangible and engaging.

SIS fosters a strong connection between education and the community by encouraging students to showcase their STEAM-based artistic projects to a wider audience. Public performances, exhibitions, audiovisual presentations create opportunities for meaningful dialogue between students, educators, professionals, and the public.

Developed by Science View since 2019, in collaboration with several institutions, this paper presents the results of the SIS implementation in 4 countries (Greece, Norway, Portugal, Ireland) though the NEXT STEP project. The results demonstrate that school units have improved the integration of STEAM approaches by 16% within one school year using a Self-Reflection tool (https://srt.the-next-step.eu/). Also, it presents how the approach is already integrated in 2 more EU projects (L-STEAM and STEAM Innovation) that will test it further in Greece, Malta, Italy, Portugal and Cyprus.

Keywords: STEAM Education, Creative Thinking, Design Thinking, Critical Skills.