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| Outreach Programme aims society scientific education. To attain this goal specific scientific programes are implemented in colaboration with schools and several social and cultural associations. |
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| CNC as promoter of Science Divulgation |
| Under the scope of Laboratório Associado, CNC has launched several activities aimed to promote Science Divulgation near the non scientific community: |
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| 1. “Ciência Viva” programme |
| Six portuguese students and four spanish students from secondary schools participated in this programme during Summer Holidays which was run for 10 days. Adding to visits to facilities and laboratories, students had the opportunity to run themselves several molecular/cell biology techniques as part of short projects (e.g. “Neurotoxic effects of drugs of abuse”). |
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| 2. Brain Awareness Week (BAW) |
In order to promote contact between students and neuroscientists at school, several activities entitled “Journey through the center of the Brain” and “Crash of the Brain” were planned for 5-17 years old students, including modelling by using playdough, puzzles, painting, brief PowerPoint presentations (e g brain anatomy 3-D film, five senses, optical illusions and neuronal damage by alcohol and drugs of abuse).
More than 500 students participated in these activities.
Students from secondary schools visited several laboratory facilities and were allowed to perform 123 techniques currently used in a neuroscience laboratory (“Open Laboratories”).
Public Sessions at book stores, dealing with themes such as “Neuroscience Research in Portugal” were organized.
In collaboration with the new Museum of Science of the University of Coimbra, CNC organized Multidisciplinary Conferences (“Brain and Society”), with speakers from different areas, open for general public but the target audience was students (6-18 years old), In the entrance hall of the Museum of Science an interactive exposition called “Brain: from anatomy to behavior” took place that was visited by around 900 persons. |
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| 3. European Science and Technology week |
General Public Sessions and “Open Laboratories” activities were developed similarly to what was described above for BAW.
The activities in which CNC has been enrolled in 2008 related with Science Divulgation were partially funded by Ciência Viva (the national council for the scientific and technological culture), the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and the Portuguese Society for Neurosciences (SPN) and also by several private entities, such as Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. These activities were promoted in several web pages including “Ciencia Viva” (www.cienciaviva.pt/home/).
In addition to the above mentioned activities, CNC enthusiastically participated in the exposition Forum Ciência at the “Pavilhão do Conhecimento”, Lisbon, where research and outreach activities were exhibited.
In the scope of the collaboration between CNC and Instituto de Educação e Cidadania (IEC), Mamarrosa, several activities took place during BAW (primary and secondary schools near IEC) and CNC’s researchers participated in public sessions at IEC, actively promoting the interaction between neuroscientists and society, at a regional level.
In 2008, CNC established collaboration with Exploratorium (Center Ciência Viva in Coimbra), that will be launched in 2009/2010 to promote organized visits of students from secondary schools to laboratories (“Open Laboratories”) as part of their scholar programme. |
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