The University of Luxembourg is looking for scientists and researchers willing to offer a science workshop for children in 2021. This outreach activity is linked to a science communication training in November 2020.

The Indiana Jos Tour aims to bring high quality STEM-Education into non-formal education institutions such as a Maison Relais. This is to be accomplished through a collaboration between researchers and pedagogues, who offer workshops that make current research accessible to a lay target audience, give insight into STEM, and scientific thinking and working in a hands-on approach.

+++ Deadline for applications extended until 14th October 2020. +++

WANTED

We are searching for interested scientists and researchers of all career stages that are willing to:

• offer a science workshop (4 hours) for children 4-12 years of age,
• describe their own history and how they became researchers themselves,
• bring their research and knowledge closer to children and thereby contribute to non-formal education,
• be open minded to investigative and creative questions from children,
• be spontaneous, flexible and courageous,
• work together with a multiprofessional team,
• work in a multilingual setting where the common language is Luxembourgish (knowledge of Luxembourgish OR Portuguese is mandatory)

The science workshops will take place between January and June 2021. You just need to be available at one time slot (available time slots: 12 Jan, 26 Jan, 9 Feb, 23 Feb, 9 March, 23 March, 6 April (tbc), 20 April, 4 May, 18 May, 1 June, 15 June, 29 June (tbc), 13 July (tbc)).

LIMITED ACCESS: Please note, that only 8 places are available! 

A budget of maximally 400€ per workshop is available to help fund any material necessary for the workshops.

Training

In the context of this activity the Indiana Jos project will offer a compulsory 1-day training (6 hours), in which the participating scientists and researchers will:

• Learn to introduce yourself and your science/research to young children
• Learn how to plan and organize a science workshop
• Start planning your own science workshop under guidance of an experienced science communicator from the Indiana Jos project
• Test your science workshop with a non-expert
• Find solutions for potential problems that might arise during your science workshop
• Gain insight into the understanding of a scientific problem by a lay target audience
• Gain insight into teaching methods which take active and holistic learning concepts into account
• Learn how to promote your own work to a lay target audience
• Learn about scientific literacy as a concept of science education
• Learn about developmental processes of children

The training will take place on 10th November (Tuesday) 2020 in an institution of non-formal education such as a Maison Relais. It will most likely be in Luxembourgish or German. You can find more information on the training under "More information".

Doctoral candidates offering a workshop and participating in this training can gain ECTS in the context of outreach activities/transferable skills. Please contact descom@uni.lu for further details.

Application

If you are interested in offering a science workshop for children, please contact descom@uni.lu until 14th October 2020, 10 am by including:

• A short explanation of your field of research and your first ideas of a possible workshop
• If you are interested in participating as a team, please clearly mention the respective persons that will participate in the workshops in your mail
• Your availabilities for the science workshop (see dates above)
• The languages you speak and your preferred language for the science workshop (please take into account that the main language the children speak is Luxembourgish)

Applications will then be internally reviewed. You will receive a confirmation of registration by mid-October.

If you have any questions, please contact descom@uni.lu or Maria Ries (maria.ries@elisabeth.lu), the Coordinator of the Indiana Jos Project.

Covid-19

The workshops are planned according to official measures for the pedagogical field and public events as known at the moment of planning. If there will be changes while undergoing the project, Indiana Jos will adjust the project accordingly. The hygienic measures such as the possibility to regularly wash hands and to be able to keep the recommended distance of 2m are taken into account. Nonetheless it needs to be understood, that children and executing staff won’t be able to keep the distance at all times.

This implies that all children over six years and adults will have to wear masks when moving through the room or can’t keep up the distance of 2m. People who show symptoms of Covid-19 are not allowed to participate. Every participant must offer contact information for tracing purposes in case of infections. Indiana Jos is thereby following the recommendations of the government for non-formal institutions.

Privacy Protection

Please note that due to security measures associated with the pandemic, personal data will be collected and shared with authorities and organizers. The training and workshops will also be photographically documented for marketing purposes. You will be able to give or withdraw your consent on this. Furthermore, the project will also collect data for evaluation purposes. Further information will follow once your participation has been confirmed.

More information

• Call for participation in Indiana Jos Tour (0.4 MB)
• Course description Indiana Jos Science Communication Training (0.4 MB)

Funding

The Indiana Jos Tour is supported by the Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR) and elisabeth anne asbl.