Netherlands becomes the fifth country to host Native Scientist workshops
On the 2nd of December, six Portuguese scientists and engineers in the Netherlands brought together their work tools and brain to creatively explain science to children aged 6 to 15 years old.
This Native Scientist science plus language workshop took place in a community centre based in Amsterdam, where two language teachers from the CEPE-Camões network usually give Portuguese classes to sons and daughters of migrant families.
All participating scientists showcased their day-to-day tasks. STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) topics covered included:
1. how work is like in manufacturing;
2. how blood flows in our body;
3. how we can prevent skin cancer;
4. how new medicines are designed;
5. how the solar system is visualized.
It was a real mix of topics and "based on the evaluation and children's smiles, I dare to say it was a true success where every child leaned at least one new thing" says Natacha Ogando, coordinator of the workshop. Natacha is one the newest NS coordinators and she adds that "It has been a roller coaster since June. It only took an e-mail and a short Skype with Native Scientist to start this adventure. I think it is amazing what people can build together when they work hard to develop an idea. That is why I always have in my mind «Always keep moving forward» slogan from Meet the Robinsons, a Walt Disney animation movie."
Regarding this workshop, our co-founder Joana Moscoso says that "As we enter our fifth year, we move into our fifth country, the Netherlands. Earlier this year we hosted German STEM workshops in the Netherlands within the scope of the Challenging Assumptions project, which was developed in partnership with Goethe-Institut. Last Saturday, we organised a Portuguese NS workshop in collaboration with the CEPE-Camões in the Netherlands thanks to the initiative and dedication of Natacha, an enthusiastic PhD student that brought together a team of scientists to deliver an unforgettable workshop."
Native Scientist workshops help pupils feel prouder of speaking more than one language and feel inspired to become a scientist. We hope that this workshop is only the first step of a wonderful journey in the Netherlands for the next couple of years.
