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RAISE – A Transformative Voice for Science and Education
Over these first two years, RAISE involved ~4000 students and >200 scientists. This was achieved by establishing partnerships between students, teachers, researchers and artists, with the ultimate goal of reaching those who continue to be left out or feel detached from science.
RAISE’s school programmes Cientista Regressa à Escola (CRE) and Ciência di Noz Manera (CNM) complemented formal learning and teaching approaches, by promoting meaningful interactions between children and scientists to mitigate inequalities in science education across Portugal. Data collected via questionnaires, focus groups and interviews show that RAISE is effectively reaching students with low scientific capital and positively shifting their perceptions of science and scientists.
The European Researchers’ Nights (ERN), alongside its Pre-Events, highlighted RAISE’s mission to foster public engagement with science. The events opened the doors of the iconic Champalimaud Foundation, in Lisbon, with the inaugural event in 2022 drawing approximately 1200 participants and the 2023 edition attracting over 1700. The ERN events featured a diverse array of activities, including scientific and artistic workshops and hands-on activities, immersive lab visits, live music concerts, stand-up comedy and speed dating with scientists, debates and much more.
RAISE works towards a more inclusive science and education landscape by involving the scientific community, establishing different partnerships (with Associação de Solidariedade Social do Alto da Cova da Moura and Orquestra Geração, to name a few), and empowering children and teenagers to consider a broader range of possibilities for their future, while contributing also to their motivation and confidence. The goal is for underserved children and teenagers to feel closer to science and scientists and to believe that they can follow their dreams and ambitions regardless of their background.
The concept of RAISE is based on a scalable model that can be replicated in other cities and countries. With this in mind, in 2024 the project was presented and discussed at various science communication and engagement conferences throughout Europe, namely Braga (Portugal), Bristol (UK), Tbilisi (Georgia) and Katowice (Poland), inspiring others to adopt similar approaches and expanding our team’s network of like-minded people.
Building on the legacy of RAISE’s initial two years of enhancing science engagement, communication, and empowerment for the future generations, as a consortium of entities with a common interest, we continue to work with the same commitment to ensure that no child gives up on their dreams.
Funded by the European Commission. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.