RAISE · Researchers in Action for Inclusion in Science and Education

Researchers in Action for Inclusion in Science and Education

Science communication is essential, not only to inform people, but to build a more engaged society in policy decision making. Members of the public rate their experiences with science communication more positively when they interact directly with researchers. Yet, the majority of science communication and outreach initiatives only reach certain members of society and numerous underserved and/or underprivileged communities continue to be left out. RAISE - Researchers in Action for Inclusion in Science and Education aims to reach members of society that continue to be left out or feel detached from science. It is built around an original concept of co-creation that will harmoniously blend the European Researchers Nights (ERNs) activities with the Researchers at School (RAS) activities, making the ERN feel like a continuum of the RAS programmes. Towards this end, RAISE is structured around two science outreach and education RAS programmes (named “Cientista Regressa à Escola” and “Ciência di Noz Manera”) that will target underserved school students, and serve as a platform to co-create science communication outputs that are then displayed at the two editions of the ERN that will be held at the Champalimaud Foundation (CF). In “Cientista Regressa à Escola” (CRE) scientists go back to their primary school to carry out 60-90 minute-long hands-on science workshops for children in their hometown. This programme targets underserved/underprivileged primary school children (9/10-years-old) across Portugal mainland and islands. In “Ciência di Noz Manera” (CNM) researchers from institutions in the Greater Lisbon area (CF and iMM) go to local schools identified by the Portuguese government as located within educational territories of priority intervention (TEIP), with high numbers of ethnic minority and migrant adolescents (underrepresented groups in STEAM) and implement several activities (divided in 3 phases) to year 8 students (~14-years-old). CNM phases are: I - Seminars, where a couple of scientists share their experience and academic path; II - Hands-on scientific workshops, where scientists demonstrate scientific experiments; and III - Mentoring sessions, where scientists carry out mentoring sessions with a small group of students (4-5 students per mentor), supporting them in the development of a project in an area of their interest. By establishing researchers-students and researchers-teachers partnerships in schools through the two RAS programs, RAISE aims to demystify preconceived ideas of science and of who can be a scientist, leading ultimately to a more scientifically literate society and to a diverse and inclusive landscape in science and education. Simultaneously, RAISE trains and builds the capacity of a diverse pool of researchers in communicating science to underrepresented groups in STEAM and making a social impact.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз