The first national workshop on integrating intellectual property (IP) into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), innovation and entrepreneurship education took place in Santiago, Chile, from October 6 to 8, 2025. Organized by the WIPO Academy in cooperation with the Ministry of Education of Chile, the Undersecretariat of International Economic Relations and the National Institute of Industrial Property, the workshop was part of the WIPO Development Agenda Project Empowering Youth (K-12) to Innovate for a Better Future. The initiative supported Chile’s efforts to link STEM learning with innovation and entrepreneurship. It provided a platform for teachers, curriculum designers, teacher trainers, and education policymakers to develop practical approaches to teaching IP and creativity in schools.
What did the program cover?
The program combined online and in-person phases. Participants first completed an online course on the basic concepts of IP. During the in-person sessions, they worked in interdisciplinary teams to design lesson plans and classroom resources connecting STEM, IP, and entrepreneurship.
The workshop addressed:
- intellectual property (IP) and innovation in education;
- the role of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in problem-solving and business creation;
- how IP supports entrepreneurship and technology transfer; and
- methods for developing problem-based learning and IP-based classroom projects.
Twenty-four educators, 67% of which were women, took part including teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum designers, and education policymakers.
The workshop equipped participants with the tools and knowledge needed to initiate change, laying the groundwork for future, sustainable reforms in education across Chile.
What are our participants saying?
"This training taught me the importance of safeguarding creations. I plan to begin the registration of my own brand and continue fostering creativity among my students. It has also made me more aware of local communities and the challenges they face."
Mariela Carvacho Bustamante, Curriculum Designer, Chile
"This training helped me understand how intellectual property can be integrated across project management and used to protect social enterprises. I plan to apply what I learned by sharing this knowledge with student groups, strengthening innovation, and the protection of their ideas. It also allowed me to connect sustainable development with entrepreneurship, and I found the youth success stories presented during the training to be an excellent way to link theory with real-world practice."
Leonardo Benavides Salzar, Teacher Trainer, Chile
"Through concrete cases and examples, this training highlighted how intellectual property promotes creativity and innovation, underscoring the importance of using the STEM approach in education. I plan to review and, where possible, update the guidelines used in the Teacher Professional Development Recognition and Promotion process so that educators can design collaborative, hands-on activities that promote problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity in interdisciplinary contexts. The training broadened my perspective on the subject, emphasized its relevance, and inspired me to explore new ways to incorporate these ideas into my professional work.
Denise Moraga Valenzuela, Teacher Trainer, Center for Improvement, Experimentation and Pedagogical Research (CPEIP), Ministry of Education in Chile.