Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SOCIETY riPENSAci (SOCIETY riPENSAci)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-04-01 bis 2023-03-31
The EU-funded European Researchers' Night of SOCIETY riPENSAci offers a series of activities and events over the years 2022-2024, helping the population to understand how the collaboration connection between different disciplines, and different people are fundamental for solving global challenges. The project explores a variety of topics, such as development and sustainability, environment and people, knowledge and digitalisation, to engage different public-groups, mainly focusing on the young generations. Indeed, one of the project's goals is to inspire young students to embrace a research career by showing research as a powerful tool for deciphering reality. The partnership, located in Emilia Romagna, includes the local branches of the main National Italian Research Institutes (CNR, INGV, INAF, INFN), CINECA and the University of Bologna. SOCIETY riPENSAci means “Think again! Change your perspective and be ready to revisit your knowledge of reality”, and this is our invitation to our fellow citizens. By spending time, with the researchers, during the 2022 edition and in various ways proposed, visitors changed the lenses through which they see things and got a glimpse of the multitude of possible points of view. Thanks to a wide network of stakeholders, riPENSAci proposed a variety of topics planned to engage different audiences, with a particular focus on kids. riPENSAci 2022 events took place in Bologna, Cesena, Cesenatico, Forlì, Predappio, Ravenna, Rimini, and Ferrara.
The AWARENESS CAMPAIGN promoted the events for the public before the ERN (pre-events): from August 29th to September 30th, in the framework of “Waiting for the ERN” series https://www.nottedeiricercatori-society.eu/eventi-archivio?field_tipo=1. The organization of pre-events, such as scientific aperitifs with researchers (AperiScienza) and Guided Tours, has the purpose to raise awareness towards the ERN and to promote participation in the main event, the Night; to communicate to the general public research topics of great relevance to citizens and society and to highlight and acknowledge the involvement of the many institutions which supported ERN as stakeholders/third parties https://www.nottedeiricercatori-society.eu/chi-siamo. In 2022 almost 40 pre-events were organized, in which around 2.300 people participated on site: 6 scientific aperitifs with researchers (AperiScienza); 13 tours with researchers and third parties (Guided Tours); 16 pre-events, organized by partners in collaboration with third parties. In 2022 we had almost 50 stakeholders, among public and private institutions, associations, schools, and entities. In addition to the communication and dissemination actions, specifically activated on riPENSAci, all partners and stakeholders promoted the events through their newsletters, websites, and social media channels.
ACTIVITIES DURING THE NIGHT - Considering all venues, a total of 186 activities were proposed to the public by more than 500 researchers and 6000 people participated to the events. The participants on site were: in Bologna about 3500, Ferrara 800, Rimini 450, Cesena 400, Ravenna 375, Forlì 300, Predappio 200, Faenza 90. In Bologna the Night 2022 took place in a new location that is proposed as an area of experimentation for the entire city. The activities presented during the Night 2022 were clustered as: Explore the present, Interpret the past, Imagine the future. Many of the activities proposed to the public were related to the research topics explored in 45 EU-funded projects and activities.
ACTIVITY OF RESEARCHERS AT SCHOOLS:
1) events dedicated to schools, organized before, during and after the Night. In particular, during the Night the students of 5 primary schools participating in the pilot project "2030 Agenda for girls and boys" brought the experiences realized during the year 2021/22.
2) lessons for schools. Researchers were available to meet classes at schools, both primary and secondary. Researchers use these meetings as an opportunity to bring students closer to the world of the research and will act as “ambassadors” of ERN and of sustainable development. The meetings were made available both on-school and online, to reach schools beyond our regional boundaries.
3) training course for teachers in Feb 2023, held by researchers: the aim of the course is to bring teachers closer to the world of research and to the approach of communicating science.
All these activities have been also promoted via Regional School Office and teachers’ mailing lists.
Detailed numbers are reported in a table in the attachments (WP3 activities).
ACTIVITIES DURING THE NIGHT - Considering all venues, a total of 186 activities were proposed to the public by more than 500 researchers and 6000 people participated to the events. The participants on site were: in Bologna about 3500, Ferrara 800, Rimini 450, Cesena 400, Ravenna 375, Forlì 300, Predappio 200, Faenza 90. In Bologna the Night 2022 took place in a new location that is proposed as an area of experimentation for the entire city. The activities presented during the Night 2022 were clustered as: Explore the present, Interpret the past, Imagine the future. Many of the activities proposed to the public were related to the research topics explored in 45 EU-funded projects and activities.
ACTIVITY OF RESEARCHERS AT SCHOOLS:
1) events dedicated to schools, organized before, during and after the Night. In particular, during the Night the students of 5 primary schools participating in the pilot project "2030 Agenda for girls and boys" brought the experiences realized during the year 2021/22.
2) lessons for schools. Researchers were available to meet classes at schools, both primary and secondary. Researchers use these meetings as an opportunity to bring students closer to the world of the research and will act as “ambassadors” of ERN and of sustainable development. The meetings were made available both on-school and online, to reach schools beyond our regional boundaries.
3) training course for teachers in Feb 2023, held by researchers: the aim of the course is to bring teachers closer to the world of research and to the approach of communicating science.
All these activities have been also promoted via Regional School Office and teachers’ mailing lists.
Detailed numbers are reported in a table in the attachments (WP3 activities).
The IMPACT ASSESSMENT of the riPENSAci was conducted through five surveys with different target groups:
1. the participants of numerous scientific events (pre-events survey),
2. the students that met with researchers at school
3. the participants at the ERN (online survey)
4. the children who attended the ERN
5. the researchers involved in the ERN (post-event survey).
The results indicated that the proposed activities attracted a diverse audience, but all the events gather the highest appreciation of most participants. The interaction between the public and researchers was estimated as an experience of personal growth and job enhancement. The 2022 ERN edition attracted 64% more new participants who did not attend to the past editions.
Overall, the results indicated a high level of satisfaction among participants and a positive contribution to their views on scientific research and knowledge. Further improvements could be made encouraging a more interactive and engaged intervention by the research teams. The assessment collected suggested that diversifying the events with scientific meetings, teaser events, school meetings and the main event on the Night, in different locations, was successful in reaching people of different age and personal interests. To be noted, including the pre-events in the summer event program promoted by the municipality of Bologna called “Bologna Estate”, provided an opportunity to reach out to more potentially interested people. For the 2023 edition, we plan to increase the efforts to promote the pre-events via new channels to reach even more public (the newsletters of the Municipality of Bologna dedicated to young people, and some cultural gathering places attended by young people).
1. the participants of numerous scientific events (pre-events survey),
2. the students that met with researchers at school
3. the participants at the ERN (online survey)
4. the children who attended the ERN
5. the researchers involved in the ERN (post-event survey).
The results indicated that the proposed activities attracted a diverse audience, but all the events gather the highest appreciation of most participants. The interaction between the public and researchers was estimated as an experience of personal growth and job enhancement. The 2022 ERN edition attracted 64% more new participants who did not attend to the past editions.
Overall, the results indicated a high level of satisfaction among participants and a positive contribution to their views on scientific research and knowledge. Further improvements could be made encouraging a more interactive and engaged intervention by the research teams. The assessment collected suggested that diversifying the events with scientific meetings, teaser events, school meetings and the main event on the Night, in different locations, was successful in reaching people of different age and personal interests. To be noted, including the pre-events in the summer event program promoted by the municipality of Bologna called “Bologna Estate”, provided an opportunity to reach out to more potentially interested people. For the 2023 edition, we plan to increase the efforts to promote the pre-events via new channels to reach even more public (the newsletters of the Municipality of Bologna dedicated to young people, and some cultural gathering places attended by young people).