Open STEAM resources: Beyond e-books and the academia. The Alquimétricos case

Allow us to point the spotlight over a specific context: hands-on science and tech teaching in low-income communities from underdeveloped countries. The issue is real, urgent, and concerns millions of Global South children and teenagers. Many governments haven't developed an effective strategy to tackle the challenge, not yet deployed a mainstream solution capable of reaching the poorest half of the population. Open Education funding is mostly invested in big institutions that: - are mostly related to higher education, - are mainly focused on digital textbooks and intangible knowledge, - and are quite reluctant to trust other content creators that come from outside their academic fortresses. When nursing a diverse and rich Open Education ecosystem, it's extremely important to check how opportunities are balanced: Is plural and democratic access offered to different public needs, contexts, and creators' origins and sizes? A plethora of OE collectives and OE startups are emerging, and it's needed to equalize the support given to the different OE types of sources and solutions. We will showcase the Alquimétricos case and proposal, as well as open the debate so other small and independent creators can raise their voices.