Macaronesia is a biogeographical region of five archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean of which four are inhabited: Azores (Portugal), Canarias (Spain), Madeira (Portugal), and Cape Verde (Cabo Verde). These islands share common geographical traits, cultural heritage, and a similar history. Except for Cape Verde, these archipelagos are among the Outermost (ultra-peripherical) Regions of the European Union, with a population of around 3 million inhabitants, corresponding to the size of a small EU country. Recognising this shared identity, the overall objective of the MACARONIGHT V project is to organise a shared European Researchers’ Night (ERN) for the Macaronesia region, which, for the seventh and eighth editions, will connect the diverse population of these remote islands under the umbrella of the universal language of science. Taking on the success of the previous six editions, MACARONIGHT V aims at further widening public awareness towards science, research, and innovation, as well as fostering the connections between well-established themes and areas of knowledge, particularly within the framework of the Horizon Europe Missions, and the social sciences and humanities. By increasing the visibility of the work of researchers and scientific developments from and for the region, MACARONIGHT V, now a benchmark of the ERN of Macaronesia, will continue to have long-lasting positive impacts that extend beyond the immediate aims and results of the project.

Learning science helps to train students in observation, reasoning and argumentation, which are some of the foundations for all learning. It also helps improve transferable skills, such as logic, critical thinking and organisation. In order to develop an awareness of the complex interactions in contemporary society between science, technology, society, education and the environment, it is important to have an understanding of scientific practices and processes. This understanding also helps students to become active, scientifically literate citizens. With waning interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) among young people, OTTER aims to enhance understanding of education outside the classroom (EOC) methods and how they can be utilised to increase interest in STEM subjects among students and improve their acquisition of scientific knowledge and transferable skills. The project will connect EOC experts from Finland, Hungary, Spain and Ireland, strengthening networks within Europe and building a foundation for the development of EOC pilot schemes within the four focus countries. The effects of these pilots on the performance of participating students, including their levels of sophisticated consumption and scientific citizenship, will be analysed to better understand the effects of EOC on EU citizens. The pilots will build on recent momentum in tackling environmental issues and help to promote sophisticated consumption by incorporating a theme of reducing and managing plastic waste. The analysis will seek to identify differences in the effect of the programmes on students from different geographical locations and of different genders, comparing those who participated in the EOC pilot schemes with students who only participated in formal education. OTTER will further aim to improve accreditation of EOC teaching methods within Europe, contributing to the selection of accreditation tools available for use beyond the end of this project.

VALUART will generate a new pedagogical paradigm aimed at promoting scientific literacy in modern societies and at inspiring our young generations. Through online and face-to-face workshops and meetings the applicants (The Big Van Theory - Spain, Parque Explora - Colombia and Adamas Scienza - Italy) will share and integrate different pedagogical methodologies implemented in non-formal science education contexts. The transfer of knowledge between the partners involved in VALUART will empower them with more effective and capillary educational approaches, in the effort of reaching increasingly equal societies by promoting equal access to STEM education. In order to ensure that the educational methodologies developed in the frame of VALUART reach the formal educational environment, specific training courses will be carried out, targeting researchers, facilitators of science museums and secondary school teachers. The training activities will be the outcome of a joint effort from the applicants, who will contribute each with its specific expertise in proposing new methodologies for science education in both formal (educational centres) and non-formal (science museums and research centres) environments. These workshops will be implemented in Spain, Italy and Colombia and will be carefully evaluated following the assessment protocols developed in the European project H2020 PERFORM.VALUART aims at delivering, as one of the two main outputs of the project, a Toolkit of best practices that will collect the most effective and sustainable activities and approaches. The Toolkit will allow teachers, educators, researchers and facilitators of science museums to know, adapt and implement the activities developed in VALUART according to their specific/local contexts and needs.The European Commission has warned that there is a need to introduce innovative and more attractive methodologies into the official education systems. For this reason, VALUART will generate a second strategic output: a Policy Brief for governmental agencies and school boards, covering the main results of the project and including guidelines to facilitate integration of the activities developed under VALUART into school practices.Ad hoc communication events will be strategic to deliver VALUART outcomes and outputs to interested stakeholders and decision makers.

The CREATIONS coordination action aims to demonstrate innovative approaches and activities that involve teachers and students in Scientific Research through creative ways that are based on Art and focus on the development of effective links and synergies between schools and research infrastructures in order to spark young people’s interest in science and in following scientific careers. It aims to support policy development by a) demonstrating effective community building between researchers, teachers and students and empowering the latter to use, share and exploit in an innovative the collective power of unique scientific resources (research facilities, scientific instruments, advanced ICT tools, simulation and visualisation applications and scientific databases) in meaningful educational activities that build on the strengths of formal (educational field trips, virtual visits, school based masterclasses) and informal (games and student generated apps, webfests and hangouts, related artworks like science theatre or student generated exhibits, debates in the framework of junior science cafes) learning, that promote creative inquiry-based learning and appreciation of how science works, b) demonstrating effective integration of science education with infrastructures through monitored-for-impact innovative activities, which will provide feedback for the take-up of such interventions at large scale in Europe and c) documenting the whole process through the development of a roadmap that will include guidelines for the design and implementation of innovative educational and outreach activities that could act as a reference to be adapted for stakeholders in both scientific research outreach and science education policy.

The overall objective of NBS EduWORLD is to nurture an NBS literate society, supporting a just transition to a sustainable future. For this, NBS EduWORLD will create an NBS community that facilitates synergies between NBS professionals and education providers and ensures free and easy access to NBS knowledge and resources for all. To achieve this goal, NBS EduWORLD will summarise the state of play of NBS education in Europe and evaluate the initiatives already in place, determine how to expand and replicate them and establish a basis and framework for the project itself and future initiatives, resulting in guidance and (policy) recommendations. In parallel, the project will analyse NBS demonstrators, with an educational dimension (Tier-1), across Europe (NBS EduSystems), to support the testing and improvement of approaches and resources with NBS demonstrators with no or a limited educational dimension (Tier-2) and create the means and opportunities for all NBS practitioners to engage with educators, inter alia via Tier-3 NBS EduSystems. This will be done whilst supporting the overarching goal of promoting NBS as a viable career prospect for European citizens of all ages. To adequately engage educators who are at different points on their NBS journey, the project will provide specific activities for those who are not yet familiar with the concept and benefits of NBS, and those already aware but in need of support to progress to the next stage. These activities will be scaled up/out by extensive dissemination and communication activities to maximise the project’s outreach and ensure its long-term success. Only by joining with NBS experts + Education Experts + Civil Society + supportive policies can we create an NBS EduWORLD - a community that makes a difference.