Funding scheme: Croatian Ministry of Science

Coordinator: Gymnasium Dubrovnik and University of Dubrovnik

Project partners: Gymnasium Dubrovnik, Laboratory for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computing UNIDU, Department od Applied ecology UNIDU, Diving club Dubrovnik, Natural History Museum Dubrovnik

Coordinator at University of Dubrovnik: dr. sc. Dinka Lale

Total budget: 3913,04 euros

Duration of the project: 2023. – 2024.

web: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1727241307801392/

The STEAM Table project aims to raise awareness about the importance of quality meal planning and preparation, emphasizing proper selection of cookware and heat sources, which contributes to better individual health while conserving energy. The project focuses on thoughtful nutrition tailored to individuals’ lifestyles and health needs, employing energy-efficient food preparation methods and selecting suitable cookware and heat sources.

Through this project, students are empowered to independently devise menus based on local ingredients, tailored to individual needs while considering their lifestyle and health requirements, and applying energy-efficient food preparation methods by choosing appropriate cookware and heat sources.

In the initial phase of the project, participants learn about the Adriatic Sea ichthyofauna, fish morphological characteristics, underwater exploration possibilities through diving, examine the cost-effectiveness of using different cooking materials, and compare various heat sources for energy efficiency during lectures and workshops led by experts from the University of Dubrovnik, the Dubrovnik Natural History Museum, and the Dubrovnik Diving Club. In the final phase, during the multi-day problem-solving workshop “Explore – Prove – Publish,” students apply acquired knowledge and skills by independently designing menus tailored to individuals with different lifestyles and health needs (e.g., bodybuilders, diabetics). Meal preparation from the menu is based on the energy efficiency of energy sources and cookware materials. By creating the brochure “Thoughtful Cooking – Thinking of Myself, Community, and Environment!”, the adopted insights about tailored nutrition are conveyed to the local community. Through youth education, long-term awareness of thoughtful nutrition within the entire local community is raised, primarily by passing knowledge to families and then to people in their surroundings. In addition to specific knowledge, students develop digital and communication skills and creativity during the project. The project takes place during the 2023/2024 school year.

March 2024 Workshop – Examining the cost-effectiveness of using different cooking materials.

March 2024 Comparison of various heat sources from an energy efficiency perspective.