As the GenB project nears its conclusion, the final event in Brussels offered more than a moment to celebrate results — it created a space to connect, reflect, and look ahead. For us GenB Ambassadors, it was a powerful opportunity to engage in dialogue with educators, project partners, and policymakers, and to witness how youth voices are gaining real recognition in shaping the future of bioeconomy education.
The day opened with a high-level panel discussion titled “Education as the main driver of the circular and sustainable transition towards the future Bioeconomy Strategy.” Representatives from GenB, BioBeo, BioGov.Net, SLEs, CLEVERFOOD, LOESS, and ProBleu shared how their projects are contributing to bioeconomy education and how their outcomes can be scaled up at the EU level.
Chiara Pocaterra, GenB coordinator, introduced GenB’s approach, highlighting the importance of going beyond dissemination. While project materials are publicly available, she emphasized that real, long-term impact requires systemic support, sustained funding, and collaboration. GenB is now working on a position paper for the upcoming revision of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and exploring the creation of a Community of Practice focused on lower education — a step towards ensuring continuity and deeper engagement beyond the project. Other speakers echoed these priorities. Selenia Marinelli (BioGov.Net) highlighted the value of co-creation workshops, which connect policymakers and educators, pointing to the importance of inclusiveness and bridging gaps between policy and practice. Laura Mentini (SLEs) shared insights from their community-based learning approaches, including hands-on activities that address social challenges such as gender stereotypes in STEM. She emphasized the need for critical thinking skills and real-world engagement in education. Clara Boissenin (CLEVERFOOD) spoke to the importance of stakeholder involvement from the beginning of any educational initiative. She shared successful examples, including exhibitions held in Portugal and Hungary, that brought together ministries, educators, media, and even local producers to co-create experiences that resonate widely and politically. These activities showcased how early engagement, visibility, and multilingual materials can create meaningful policy synergies. Giuseppe Mossuti (LOESS) emphasized the emotional power of education on soil health and the importance of aligning learning tools with the SDGs, making them both adaptable to school curricula and inspiring. Tom Curran (BioBeo) reminded us of the urgency of using education as a lever for climate policy. Eli Bonfill (ProBleu) shared how their project made complex scientific content accessible while offering financial support to schools to help integrate sustainability themes into classrooms.
The panel concluded with a candid exchange on common challenges — time and funding constraints, rigid curricula, lack of coordination and support for educators. All speakers highlighted the importance of empowering teachers and in general educators, recognizing the value of non-formal and informal learning, and designing more flexible, locally tailored approaches.
For us, this first session set the tone for the day: a collective call to make education more inclusive, more accessible, and more deeply connected to Europe’s green transition.
That momentum carried into one of the most powerful moments for us as GenB Ambassadors — the panel “Recommendations to Shape Future Circular and Sustainable Bioeconomy Education.” Sitting alongside EU policymakers, we had the chance to reflect on how education and policies can better align with the energy, needs, and aspirations of our generation.
We spoke openly about what it means to truly engage young people in the bioeconomy. For us, it starts with using a language that speaks to youth and embracing a peer-to-peer approach that makes room for real dialogue. As GenB Ambassadors, we have carried out over 50 activities across 10 countries, and some of the most impactful initiatives were built on these principles, with the Students2Students format. This approach harnessed the energy and enthusiasm of young Ambassadors to connect with students through games, quizzes, experiments, hands-on workshops— sparking curiosity and genuine interest in bioeconomy, transferring knowledge by playing. We also stressed how essential it is to meet young people where they are: online, connected, in social media, as well as the need to show real career paths in the sector and provide tangible examples of what a future in the bioeconomy can look like.
From the GenB and BioBeo projects side, we heard a set of deeply experience-based recommendations that can truly guide the way forward for educators and policymakers and shape the road ahead. One key message was that green education shouldn’t be treated as an isolated subject, but rather as a cross-cutting opportunity that can empower students from every discipline and at every learning level, contributing to much wider learning objectives. But for this vision to become reality, we need to support the ones who shape education every day — teachers. They need continuous training, access to quality materials and resources, clear guidance, and the freedom to innovate. In this process, technology can be a game-changer — if we use it wisely.
Perhaps the most moving part of the discussion for us as GenB Ambassadors, came from the back-and-forth with policymakers themselves. The focus of the discussion was the need to shorten the gap between youth educational needs and governance and to make the voice of young people heard in this matter. Policymakers invited all of us to take part in the open public consultation for the revision of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, emphasizing that the input of young people can—and should—influence the direction of future policies. They reminded everyone in the room that youth input is not only welcome, but essential to shaping a sustainable future. But as we all agreed, “we’re listening” is not enough. Real inclusion means building real, long-lasting structures where young people are involved and empowered to act and contribute meaningfully to the conversation, supported in their initiatives, and guided by mentors and facilitators who help bridge the gap between youth and institutions.
Later, during the “Education in Action” experiential exhibition, we had the chance to also represent GenB as young Ambassadors, joining forces with an inspiring group of EU-funded projects like BioBeo, BioGov.net, SLEs, CLEVERFOOD, LOESS, NBS EduWORLD, ProBleu, CircularSchools, Life Terra Foundation, BlueMissionMed, and BlueRev — all working towards the same goal: raising awareness and educating people of all ages about sustainability, whether it’s circular bioeconomy, soil health, or ocean protection.
At our GenB stand, we had the privilege — and the challenge — of speaking with a diverse audience, including representatives of other projects, educators, and high-level policy makers. It’s not always easy to adapt your message depending on who’s in front of you, especially when it comes to engaging experienced professionals in meaningful conversations. But thanks to the training and tools we received through GenB, we felt confident and prepared to explain how our project supports bioeconomy education — from our co-created games with students of different ages and the bioeconomy village featuring bio-based products, to our educational model and training resources for teachers and multipliers.
We also took time to visit the other projects’ stands, where we discovered comics, virtual reality experiences, and so many other creative approaches to educate about sustainability. It was an eye-opening experience — both inspiring and empowering — and it reminded us once again how important it is to keep learning, exchanging ideas, and stepping out of our comfort zones. Being part of this event wasn’t just about representing GenB — it was also about growing as communicators, as citizens, and as professionals in the field.
As the event came to a close, we left Brussels feeling inspired, heard, and more motivated than ever. For us GenB Ambassadors, this wasn’t the end of a journey — it was the beginning of a new chapter in how we think, speak, and act for a more sustainable future. We’re ready to keep the conversation alive, to build on what we’ve learned, and to continue being a voice for youth in the bioeconomy — not just as participants, but as active contributors and shapers of what comes next.