Stories

The Frontiers in Life Sciences Bachelor program. Paris Descartes University / CRI

The Science Académie program, which invites youth to experience scientific research, was highly successful among high school students from disadvantaged areas. When these students engaged in post-baccalaureate studies, we quickly realized that there was a lack of focus on research in the Bachelor curriculum. We also realized that the absence of curriculums matching the motivation of students from low social backgrounds was a strong deterrent for the pursuit of higher education.

Acknowledging these issues, we conceived a Bachelor program (Frontiers in Life Sciences) with a strong focus on life sciences research, addressed to students motivated for science and learning. With the help of eminent university professors, our project quickly received approval and funding. We implemented it within a year. We recruited, trained and mentored the whole teaching team (40 people, mostly young researchers).

This program provides an equally sound basis in biology, mathematics, chemistry, physics and computer science, as well as an initiation to history, philosophy and sociology of science, and lab internships. Furthermore, during a few intensive weeks, the students develop a full range of skills for learning and research, including social skills and self-evaluation skills for instance, through activities we developed. For instance, students experience the investigative approach by building their first research projects within a few days. In other activities, students consolidate their own learning community, by developing skills to work collectively and to engage with the teachers in a mutually agreed-upon relationship.

The first year (2011-12), a group of motivated and socially diverse students got involved. After nearly a year of courses we saw huge improvements in skills and knowledge, and the drop-out rate was three times lower than in normal French Bachelor programs.

Conflict management via research values: workshop with children, Vukovar, Croatia.

In 2009, Bojan Markicevic gathered a group of students to organize science-related activities for kids living in Vukovar, Croatia. At the time, 19 years after the war had ended, schools were still separate for Croats and Serbs. Moreover, there were still recurrent clashes between the youth of both communities.

Joining Bojan and his team at the beginning of the project, we offered our expertise in designing scientific workshop activities that could enhance the social skills of participants, and in particular by building cooperation among participants from divided communities. These activities involved kids from both Croat and Serb communities that were usually unable to get along. In addition, training was provided in 2010 to Croatian students, school teachers and local NGOs.

Later on, in 2011 the NGO ConSol was created in Croatia to support such activities in the long run. The Roma population, which are highly segregated, are currently being targeted. We are still involved in advising on project development and we plan to facilitate the training of school teachers working with these segregated populations.