How to explain to the people that excessive use of antibiotics is harmful? Perhaps with a theatrical play?
How to inspire children to explore the forest and nature together with their parents? Maybe with a traveling nature backpack or turned the forest into an outdoor classroom?
How to encourage more careful use of drinking water? How about an exhibition?
The MULTIPLIERS project, funded the European Union, helps students in six European countries become better science thinkers, learners, and communicators.
Partners support each other with fun, practical activities such as outdoor classes, discussions with scientists, and conducting experiments to help students better understand the connection between science, researchers’ work, and real-world issues.
It also teaches them how to clearly explain complex scientific ideas.
When they share what they have learned with their parents and others, they strengthen their understanding and also help others understand complex issues.
Science is one of the pillars of modern society and is deeply intertwined with social and environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. However, in schools, it is often presented to students in an abstract way, without practical context.
To make science more tangible and engaging, the MULTIPLIERS Horizon 2020 project is establishing new Open Science Communities (OSC), which expand opportunities for scientific learning in collaboration with schools, universities, informal education providers, museums, local associations, industry, civil society, policymakers, and media in six European countries.
In Časoris, we participate in the project as an associated partner. We help ensure that the ideas and experiences of the project reach as many Slovenian elementary school students as possible.
The founder of the Časoris Institute and editor-in-chief of the online children’s newspaper Časoris, Dr. Sonja Merljak Zdovc, is a member of the project’s advisory board, and was also a keynote speaker at the project’s final conference in Ljubljana in April. She presented to the partners how Časoris improves the media literacy skills of children.