European funds fund the creation of 17 living science clubs in schools in the Algarve

There are 17 “Ciência Viva na Escola” clubs to be created with the support of European funds mobilized by the Algarve Operational Program – CRESC Algarve 2020, to support the promotion of scientific literacy among young people in primary, secondary and vocational education, announced this Tuesday, August 3, Committee for Coordination and Development Regional (CCDR) of the Algarve.

The scientific knowledge of young people in Portugal has been assessed as a problematic aspect compared to the average of other OECD countries, and although the conclusions of the Pisa reports show significant improvements in the indicators, “it is necessary to develop strategies to enhance results in the future,” he says.

In the Algarve, indicators are less favorable, with “a lower prevalence of young people enrolling in higher education in STEM fields”.

In this context, the clubs, which will operate in the main groups of schools in the Algarve region, will be supported in various activities that contribute to the promotion of knowledge in scientific and technological fields, the experimental teaching of science or the production of specialized technical content.

Also activities that contribute to holding meetings, seminars and Workshops, Study visits and other forms of exchange of knowledge, experiences and good practices between groups of schools or non-clustered educational institutions will be supported.

In addition to the Ciência Viva na Escola Clubs, the Algarve Operational Program has engaged three Ciência Viva centers in the Algarve (Faro, Lagos and Tavira), in partnership with the University of the Algarve, in a project to develop digital teaching resources.

This project aims to “ensure access to high-quality digital educational resources and collaboration tools in digital environments that foster innovation in the teaching and learning process, stimulate creativity and innovation, and allow remote classroom monitoring and online collaborative work, and not only by young people embedded in education courses.” general secondary school, but also by young people in vocational education”, adds CCDR do Algarve.

For these projects, Algarve’s operational program has already allocated more than 1 million euros from European funds, 80% of which come from the European Social Fund and 20% of the social security budget.

Funding will be provided in the form of a non-refundable grant and will cover, for a period of 24 months, the costs associated with operating the clubs and producing digital teaching resources.

The expected impact of these measures should be translated into “an improvement in the indicators of scientific literacy for young people in the Algarve region, in the growth of occupational options for STEAM professional fields, and in the strengthening of demand for sectors of economic activity that contribute to the diversification of the regional economic base.” ‘, concludes the CCDR in the Algarve.

This is a project supported by the Algarve Operational Program – CRESC Algarve 2020, in collaboration with Ciência Viva – National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture, and the Directorate General of Education.