Connect migrant children and scientists in Europe

When Mattia, aged 9, was asked what he would do if he were a scientist, he wrote: "I would look for new formulas to help the world. I would search for medicines to help people. I would discover forms of life that no one knows about." His sentence won the Native Awards, our annual contest for children in the Same Migrant Community programme. For many children like Mattia, who are growing up between two languages and two cultures, meeting a scientist who speaks their family's language is the first time they picture themselves doing science.

From November to June, 515 children took part in 29 science workshops in 17 cities across 9 countries: Belgium, the Channel Islands, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Each workshop was led in the children's heritage language, which this year meant Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and Arabic. Ninety-five volunteer scientists brought their research into the classroom. Children extracted DNA, looked at microbes under the microscope, learned how inhalers work, explored the anatomy of the brain and discovered how zebrafish help heart research. Altogether this created 1,925 conversations between children and scientists.

The children's feedback says a lot. 99% liked meeting the scientists and 98% learned something new. For more than half of them (51%), this was the first time they had ever met a scientist. The word they chose most often to describe the day was "Amazing". All of the teachers would recommend the programme to colleagues, and the scientists rated their science communication training 4.9 out of 5. In June we held our third Arabic-language workshop in Bradford, UK. One of the scientists there said that by the end of the day, everyone was already asking: "When's the next one?"

The scientists often tell us that they gain as much as the children do. One of them, who is also an immigrant parent, wrote: "I know how much it means for a child to feel integrated growing up here, yet navigating between two worlds. These workshops are more than an afternoon of fun. They provide role models, foster community, and open a window to a world of possibilities." There is still much more we could do. Since 2023, 637 scientists have signed up to volunteer, and with more resources we could reach more than 3,000 children every year.

Thank you for making Science a possibility for children!

Links:

• Learn more about our work!
• What happens when people see themselves in Science?