OeAD: Well-known research institutions offer virtual projects to schools

OeAD provides an overview of science education projects in Austria

With its Young Science Centre, the OeAD, as the agency for education and internationalisation of the Republic of Austria, supports schools' engagement with science and research in order to gain an understanding of research and scientific work. "The OeAD promotes networking between science and schools. In addition to virtual school visits by researchers, the website of the OeAD's Young Science Centre offers exciting projects for joint research as well as digital museum visits and experiments by research institutions. Thanks to all research institutions that offer virtual projects to schools," said Jakob Calice, OeAD Managing Director.


Virtual school visits by researchers:

The OeAD was able to convince more than 40 researchers to make not only real but also virtual school visits, to provide exciting online lessons and to give insights into their research. The researchers from the fields of economics, technology & computer science, social and political sciences, natural sciences and humanities are "Young Science Ambassadors". The researchers help to ensure that young people can immerse themselves in the world of science and research.

List of Young Science Ambassadors of the OeAD (in German)

Portraits of all 194 researchers who visit schools on a voluntary basis (in German)


Projects to research:

In addition to the school visits of the Young Science Ambassadors, there are opportunities for young people to participate in research projects or applied projects. For example, young people can explore social contacts during the corona crisis, search for jaguars in one of the most remote tropical forests or classify forms of galaxies in astronomical images. Jakob Calice emphasizes: "In this way, through their participation, pupils make a valuable contribution to research, actively support researchers and perhaps discover research as a future field of work for themselves". These projects can be carried out from home, in virtual or real classrooms, or a combination of all of these: https://youngscience.at/de/angebote/projekte-zum-mitforschen/


Science(mediation) in the digital space:

In order to make knowledge transfer and research accessible online, many cultural and research institutions in Austria have come up with digital projects that can be optimally integrated into Distance Learning. Virtual tours through the Kunsthistorisches Museum can be undertaken in this way. Or one can experience the dinosaurs of the Natural History Museum virtually up close, learn to program online or understand the peculiarities of chemistry and physics with experiments that can be easily imitated. The OeAD has put together exciting projects: https://youngscience.at/de/angebote/wissenschaft-digital-erleben/