On November 22nd, CIES-Iscte welcomed around 40 secondary school students from the Michel Giacometti School Group, to celebrate the National Day of Scientific Culture, providing them with an immersive experience behind the scenes of a research centre.
This initiative is part of the Science and Technology Week of Agência Ciência Viva, in which the centre has participated every year. It reinforces the centre's commitment to demystifying the work of social scientists and, at the same time, bringing young people closer to science.
22.11.2024
With a diverse and dynamic program, the event provided students with an opportunity to explore relevant topics through innovative and participatory methodologies, raising awareness and critical thinking about society's most current issues.
The Iscte School of Sociology and Public Policies and the IN Iscte project also participated in this activity.
The Laboratory of Social Studies on Birth activity encouraged students to reflect on the social and cultural dimensions of birth. Through drawings and debates, participants analyzed reports of births, discussing aspects such as location, emotions and roles of the people involved. In addition to being a creative exercise, the laboratory demonstrated how drawing can be used as a participatory tool in social science research.
In turn, the team from the Observatory of Democracy and Political Representation simulated the practice of legislative work, promoting a debate on social problems. Randomly divided into groups representing political parties, they deepened their understanding of democratic processes and the importance of political participation.
CoLABOR, represented by Pedro Estêvão, Catarina Cruz and Sara Nunes, presented QuizLABOR, an interactive game that challenged students to test their knowledge about the social and economic reality in Portugal and Europe. Through questions based on statistical data from the DataLABOR platform, participants reflected on topics such as employment, health, education and housing in a fun and educational way.
Finally, to understand their reading habits and the role of books in their lives, the team from the Portuguese Observatory on Cultural Activies challenged students to answer an interactive questionnaire. The results were presented and debated, promoting reflections on social influences on the cultural habits of youth.
Initiatives such as Science and Technology Week offer young people a transformative experience, by showing how science can be a tool to decipher the world and act on it.
