Research from an early age: science ambassadors visit kindergartens and after-school care centres

The ‘Science Ambassadors’ initiative of Austria's education agency OeAD, which is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research, has been expanded: as of October 2025 researchers will not only visit schools but also kindergartens and after-school care centres all over Austria for the first time. The aim is to give pre-school children playful access to science and to spark their curiosity about research. For many years researchers have been volunteering as science ambassadors, visiting schools all over Austria, leading interactive workshops, talking about their everyday research and their professional careers and answering questions about science and research first-hand. The fact that the OeAD received more than 210 enquiries from schools in the first four weeks of the current school year shows how high the demand for researchers is. From now on elementary education institutions all over Austria can also invite science ambassadors. Around 560 researchers already visit schools. 44 of them will now also impart science in elementary education institutions; these visits will take place exclusively in person.

Easy booking via www.youngscience.oead.at/botschafter_innen

Facts about the OeAD initiative

+ Since the initiative started demand from schools and the number of participating researchers has risen steadily: more than 360 school visits took place in 2024 alone.
+ The offer is aimed at all elementary education institutions and schools all over Austria.
+ The topics range from A for archaeology to Z for zoology.
+ Visits can take place in person or, for schools, also online.
+ Participation is free of charge but travel expenses may have to be paid.

For researchers visits to early childhood education institutions are a valuable opportunity to give pre-school children their first insights into science and research, says Assoc. Prof. Juliane Stark, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, during her first ‘research’ visit to a kindergarten: ‘In my experience even the youngest children ask the biggest questions – and that's exactly what science thrives on. It is important to me to awaken a joy of discovery from an early age.’ The researcher has already been involved as a science ambassador for five years.

The kick-off for the expansion of the initiative was held at the kindergarten at Obere Augartenstraße 1, 1020 Vienna, in the presence of the minister of science and research Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Vienna's deputy mayor Bettina Emmerling, and the OeAD’s managing director Jakob Calice. The kindergarten director Isabella Schubert also shares her delight at the science ambassador's visit: ‘Science ambassadors enrich the discussion of topics by opening up new perspectives for the children and stimulating exciting exchanges. After the visit the children already asked me when another researcher would come to visit.’

Eva-Maria Holzleitner, federal minister for women, science and research, said: "Familiarising children with science and research in a playful way at preschool age is an important step towards enabling everyone's participation and promoting equal opportunities. In this way we awaken curiosity and a spirit of discovery – and at the same time promote trust in science and democracy.

As the person responsible for kindergartens in Vienna, Bettina Emmerling emphasises the added value of the initiative for early childhood education institutions: ‘The expansion of the initiative clearly shows the importance that kindergartens now have as the first educational institutions. Every encounter with researchers can be inspiring for children, who can learn a lot from them.’

Jakob Calice, managing director of the OeAD, points out the strong demand: ‘Our Science Ambassadors initiative has grown significantly in the last few years and has established itself as an important science education offer at schools all over Austria. The high demand and positive feedback from the visits encourage us to now also give pre-school children their first insights into science and research.’

Support, quality assurance and further education opportunities through the OeAD

To provide researchers and teachers with the best possible support the OeAD provides supporting materials – including a guidebook with a checklist for preparing and conducting the visits – for both early childhood educators and researchers. This guidebook contains practical tips for planning, organising and accompanying visits.

Moreover, the visits will be reviewed in workshops with all participants in January 2026. The findings will be incorporated into the update of the guidebook and checklist.
As visits to kindergartens pose particular challenges for researchers the OeAD, in collaboration with the ScienceCenter network, offers a practical continuing education event in the afternoon of 27 March 2026 for science ambassadors who wish to visit kindergartens.

Requests for visits can be made via the OeAD website at any time. The booking platform provides a user-friendly overview and filter options by federal province and target group, thus enabling users to quickly find the science ambassador with the right thematic focus.