Submitted Abstract
The Scienteens Lab, founded in 2013 by the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine of the University of Luxembourg, invites local high-school students to a professional research laboratory for an entire day and gives them the opportunity to actively participate in hands-on courses in life sciences. The goal of this initiative is to provide students with a more realistic idea of what it means to be a scientist and thereby excite young Luxembourgers for the career of a researcher. The lack of youngsters pursuing a career in other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) sciences, like mathematics and physics, has recently been identified in Luxembourg.Therefore, the main aim of the STEMULATE project is to establish a hands-on programme in mathematics and physics at the Scienteens Lab, similar to the successful courses in life sciences. In a pilot study, conducted in collaboration with the Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication, we could show that there is a high demand for these courses from the schools in Luxembourg. As its second aim, the project will address the challenge to expand the life sciences programme, since there is a need for a more diverse portfolio of courses adapted to the different biology subjects taught at school. Thirdly, in addition to the one-day courses currently taught at the Scienteens Lab, we will develop and implement new educational formats to be able to offer individualised extended trainings for highly motivated and interested students, through an internship programme and the “Scienteens Academy”. For teachers, who are very important multipliers for the students, a specific hands-on “Teach-the-Teachers” programme will be established as well as regular scientific talks. This programme aims to educate the teachers about the power of the current research environment in Luxembourg, to give them the possibility to make closer connections to the university´s scientists and to motivate them to inform their students about career opportunities in research. A comprehensive communication concept is part of the proposed project in order to connect to our target groups and increase the visibility of the STEMULATE project.With the proposed project and the Scienteens Lab activities, we intend to prepare the next generation of researchers in Luxembourg and thereby ensure the sustainability of the research sector in the Grand Duchy.