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ReCoNnect: Research Communication for active learning

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ReCoNnect 2 (ReCoNnect: Research Communication for active learning)

Reporting period: 2023-05-01 to 2024-04-30

Describe the context and overall objectives and the expected impact of your project. The idea is to give to the reader key background information needed to understand the motivation behind the project and the problems and needs it aims to address.
The description should be seen as “setting a scene for the story” of the project. After reading this section the reader should be able to understand how the results of the project are expected to contribute to tackling the identified problems and needs. If possible, you may wish to include an indication of the significance of your project’s expected impacts.
If applicable, for projects tagged as indicating the need for the integration of social sciences and humanities, please show the role of these disciplines in the project.


Researchers worldwide are struggling nowadays to solve some of the critical issues which pose a threat to our future life on Earth. While everyone has heard about the present challenges with climate change, digital cities, pollution of freshwaters and oceans, soils degradation which lead to poor quality of food, or cancer, not many are aware of the efforts and the difficulties that researchers are confronted with trying to identify practical solutions for all these threats. They are actively involved in developing devices and systems to monitor, control and diminish their effect, and to cure people and Earth, but their mission will not have the chance of becoming effective unless ReCoNnect-ing the researchers to the society, by developing a mutual respect and understanding. To find new paths of evolution one needs a will to listen, to be open to the new and to explore. As such, we promote the adoption of a special life strategy, that of continuous and active learning, in which all those engaged in thinking about the future, scientists, communicators or the general public, are active learners interacting with each other.

The ReCoNnect consortium is made up from 5 research institutes, some of the largest and most prestigious in the country, 4 universities, with high scientific expertise but also including journalism faculties and one public scientific body, that have been participating in previous research outreach events and coordinate some of the largest STEM educational networks
(teachers and pupils) derived from the European programmes. We propose the organization of 20 European Researchers’ Night events in places ranging from the largest city to small towns and even rural areas, and also a strong program of involving researchers at school in the next 2 years of the project. We are confident that by strengthening and connecting the existing science communication and educational programs (summer schools, conferences, workshops, fairs, contests, open days programs, webinars), the number of researchers involved in outreach activities will increase as well as the quality of the activities. The common resources and energies put together will allow us to look to the future with new hopes of an active and cultured society towards solving the humanity issues through science and awareness.
During the two years of the project we organized 40 European Researchers` Night events.
Moreover, we organized another 41 events, most of them included in the `Researchers in School` programme like: summer schools, conferences, workshops, fairs, contests, open days programs, webinars, events which ranged in complexity from half a day to two weeks events. These events covered different types of regions from some of the most developed cities of the country to predominantly rural areas like the geoparks.
Beside local and regional events we advanced in organizing national events thus creating a national identity for the project. From the most important one we mention “The National ReCoNnect Science Contest”, which had two editions and several online and face to face editions of “ReCoNnect - A different kind of school”, a national programme which fosters meetings between researchers and schools. More than 100 schools participated in our events each year.

Communication with the public has improved, we have started a blog and a newsletter to better connect with the Community of schools. Our project was visible in some of the main publications, national radio and TV stations. As the first network for STEM education and science outreach made by researchers and acting at the national level the results of the project were recognized by the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization of Romania who awarded the patronage for the ERN events and the associated events organized by our consortium.

Overall we strengthen the connections between different scientific and educational organizations who are part or not of the ReCoNnect consortium, and we created a large number of opportunities for researchers to meet the public and the schools.
The ReCoNnect consortium have succeeded in creating a network of events dedicated to STEM education and science communications supported by research institutes and universities. These events include some of the most prestigious non-formal educational events like research camps for pupils and teachers `MSciTeh Summer School for Science and Technology`, `The National Camp for Astronomy and Astrophysics`, `The National Olympiad for Science Creativity`. The existing, recurrent events started to collaborate, exchanging ideas and promoting together.

Next, we have developed new educational formats `The National ReCoNnect Science Contest`, with hands on and citizen science missions, and the national webinars programme `ReCoNnect - A different kind of school` each of these formats having the potential to become a reference in STEM education at the national level in the future.
Increasing awareness among the science communicators and outreach groups in the country is the strongest result that improves the quality of the events being organized.
Bucharest 2023 Researchers' Night event