21 children's and youth universities once again inspire youngsters with their science programmes and encourage the joy of research in them.

"Science can be found everywhere" is the motto. The offers are aimed at young people of all ages and take place at the participating universities, universities of applied sciences and other research institutions. There also activities in public areas.

For Jakob Calice, managing director of Austria's education agency OeAD, children's and youth universities are essential to boosting trust in science: "Even 6-year-olds have basic scientific thinking skills. This needs to be supported. The earlier children and young people come into contact with science and learn how research works the better you can strengthen their trust in science and reduce their reserve. With the children's and youth universities we awaken the inquisitive spirit in the youngest. I am therefore very pleased that so many exciting projects can be supported once again."

Martin Polaschek, minister of science and research, underlines the great potential of children's and youth universities to promote interest in science at an early age: "With their broad range of offers for participants from kindergarten age to those taking their final exams at school and the broad addressing of different segments of the population – regardless of their parents’ socio-economic background – children's and youth universities show that tertiary educational institutions are open to everybody. The image of the elderly professor in a white lab coat no longer applies today. Universities are not ivory towers and it is important to know that we can trust the methods of science. In this way the children's and youth universities also support the BMBWF's #TruSD-Trust in Science and Democracy strategy."

Children's and youth universities offered in 2023

In 2023 there will be children's and youth universities funded by the BMBWF in all Austrian federal provinces except in Vorarlberg and Burgenland. They take place both in the larger cities of Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Klagenfurt and Salzburg and in rural areas in Upper Austria, Lower Austria, East Tyrol and Styria – for example in the Almtal at the Konrad Lorenz Research Centre where children and young people can immerse themselves in the world of research for a whole week. This week-long offer is one of the extension modules for holiday care with a scientific claim that the BMBWF has funded since 2021 in addition to the children's and youth universities. Of the 21 funded projects a total of 13 include such an extension module for holiday care with a scientific claim. These are all-day care programmes that include both science content and games and exercise. In addition to face-to-face events some children's and youth universities also offer online formats, e.g. webinars or experiments to do at home.

In 2023 the thematic focus will be on digitisation, media, the environment, sustainability, climate change, STEM and art. The programmes are expected to reach around 40,000 participants.

All funded projects can be found on the OeAD's programme website at the following link: https://youngscience.at/de/angebote/kinder-und-jugenduniversitaeten/gefoerderte-projekte-2023