Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering

Workshops 'STEM&You'

50

Workshops

900

Attendants

12-18

Ages

 

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), with the support of the Government of Catalonia, participates in programmes fostering STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) vocations among secondary and upper secondary school students. It is in this spirit that the UPC's Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering (ETSETB) is presenting a new edition of the STEM&You project.

The STEM&You project offers workshops designed to bring students closer to science and technology from an ICT and telecommunications perspective. This activity takes place in a single session consisting of an initial presentation of STEAM vocations and the University and then the workshops. It is taught by one of the School's students, who also shares experiences of the University.

Aspects to consider:

  • There are basic and advanced workshops. The basic ones are suitable for secondary and upper school students, while the advanced workshops are only intended for upper secondary school students. All workshops have a maximum capacity of 20 students (except for the cryptography workshop, which can host up to 40 students).
  • New workshops are being introduced. 
  • Each workshop lasts 2 hours. A guided tour of the main facilities at the UPC North Campus can be added (an additional 30 minutes), which must be requested during registration.
  • The workshops will take place from 23 January to 11 February 2026.



2026 basic STEM&You workshops:

  • Electronics and Digital Computing: The concept of a Boolean variable is explained and its representation with switches or merely in terms of voltage levels is discussed. An introduction is made to how Boolean variables can be used as binary digits in the base-2 number system. A standard integrated 4-bit digital adder circuit is mounted on a protoboard and the sums are verified.

  • Catch the Wave (new): A workshop designed to explore the properties of electromagnetic waves. Through engaging and participatory activities, students investigate concepts such as frequency, wavelength, propagation speed, refraction, and wave polarisation. All activities are based on everyday examples and situations, encouraging curiosity and practical understanding.

  • Basic Cryptography: Activities are carried out to illustrate cryptographic methods that have been used from the origins of cryptography (Caesar's method) up to the 20th century (Enigma machine).

2026 advanced STEM&You workshops:

  • Electronics and Analogue Computing: The workshop explains that analogue electronic circuits have the capacity to emulate mathematical systems and linear physical models, such as sums, subtractions, integrals, and derivatives. It shows how an analogue circuit can be used to represent a linear equation of the type y=ax + b.

  • Nano-Satellites and Earth Observation: From Theory to Practice (new): This workshop introduces students to how a nano-satellite (CubeSat) is designed, built and operated. It covers key concepts in communications, embedded systems and Earth observation applications.

  • Who can Throw the Lunchbox the highest? (new): The workshop aims to determine, if an object is thrown upwards, the height reached, the time it spends in the air and its velocity at launch and upon returning to the ground. Using technology such as Arduino, accelerometers, and GPS, students delve into concepts including acceleration, velocity, distance and time, gravitational force, and satellite-based navigation (GPS, GNSS).
  • Talking to the rubbish bin (new): This workshop focuses on creating a system that is capable of understanding very simple voice commands such as “open” and “close” to control the lid of a rubbish bin. Students explore concepts related to the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence.

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