Care: Students were involved in  designing and developing a video game that promoted the importance of digital skills  for a real-life problem. The creators of the game aimed to raise children’s awareness about the usefulness of solar energy and solar panels.  Students who participated in the activities were from all grades 9,10,11 and 12. The creators of the game were Hanc Ionuț Cristian – class 12 A and Bunea Nicolae – class 12 A. 

Know: Students used knowledge about using green energy in planet exploration.  The competences that the students practiced were: reasoned decision-making, teamwork on multidisciplinary topics, programming and implementation of software applications.  

Do: At the end, the students prepared the video HERE, which they presented in school. They carried out the activities in teams and their families were involved in purchasing the necessary equipment for building the game and with technical consultancy for using free software for creating games.

Findings related to the Open Schooling approach: The activity can be included in the curriculum in science, geography, physics, chemistry, biology classes and less in computer science classes, because the computer science curriculum does not address the topic of creating video games.  But it was very attractive to students who were curious about the secret of building a video game. Open schooling could be the future of education for other teachers because it would empathize with students, motivating them in creating and using video games as a method of creative and digital development.

The results obtained by the students: The student Hanc Ionuț Cristian, managed to get the first place, at the regional phase Made for Europe and to present the game in the UK and Greece within the project Eramsus+ – Games Jam, which had as theme the creation of video games. And because within the college we set up an excellent robotics group,  which includes the creators of the game, following the visit of European Commissioner Ferreira, we were invited to the World Bank headquarters and the Ministry of Digitalization to present our projects. There I was able to talk to Ion, Mr. President’s AI assistant. We presented the project online at GUESS Indonesia and physically at the Science on Stage Festival!

Care Stage: Students did introductory activities on mental health. A total of 75 students participated. 

Know stage: During participatory research in which they detected their needs and designed an action plan with various activities. They put mental health knowledge into practice and expanded it.

Stage Do: The activities were designed to be carried out the next course, we lacked time to do this stage.

Results related to the Open Schooling approach:    Undoubtedly, participatory research has allowed them to treballar competències i sabers inclosos en el currículum de 3r d’ESO, però també d’altres que no hi estan directament especificades.

Support for the implementation of educational resources by:  the department and the Living Lab of IrsiCaixa

Student results:    The students were able to integrate certain knowledge and skills. Still, if we had     Given more time to conduct participatory research, the results     Had     It was more satisfying.     The students go     Actively participate in the dynamics proposed to them    .

Care Stage: The students of the CFGM of Pharmacy made an analysis about health and its three branches and were very interested in working on the promotion of their mental health during their stay at the educational center. A total of 38 students participated in two groups (morning and afternoon). 

Know stage: During the participatory research phase, during which they identified their needs and devised an action plan, students utilized their knowledge of mental health and habits. Additionally, they actively applied skills such as planning, organization, information retrieval, self-directed learning, and the application of acquired knowledge.

Estapa Do: Students conceived and implemented a mental health promotion action plan comprising four distinct activities. It was the students themselves who lead the sessions at the classroom.

Results related to the Open Schooling approach:    Undoubtedly, participatory research has allowed them to not only develop the professional, personal, and social skills outlined in the curriculum of the CFGM Pharmacy and Parapharmacy but also provided them with the opportunity to enhance key cross-cutting skills essential for their future profession, such as autonomy, work organization, responsibility, and teamwork. Certainly, the inclusion of social actors in this research can further facilitate the cultivation and acquisition of these competencies and knowledge.

Support for the implementation of educational resources by: head of department

Student results: The students enthusiastically embraced the proposal and eagerly accepted the challenge to participate. We believe that this initiative has served as an excellent opportunity to shed light on the significance of mental health issues among young people. Simultaneously, it has enabled us to foster certain skills among the students through the application of scientific methodology throughout the entire process.

Taking care of young people’s mental health is a necessity. Schools are a fundamental part of their lives, so we could promote their emotional well-being. This year, we have implemented Healthy Minds, an Open Schooling project within the framework of the European project CONNECT, which aims to promote the mental health of students through a participatory research process. Another objective is to raise awareness that science and the scientific method can be useful in solving the challenges we face as a society and to abandon the idea “I’m not into science” that we often hear in the classrooms.

At the Caterina Albert High School in Barcelona, we have implemented Healthy Minds with a group of first-year baccalaureate students in the context of the subject of Scientific Challenges. During 2 sessions, we have conducted an analysis of the group members’ needs regarding mental health and prioritized them through a consultation process. We have designed and implemented an action plan based on various activities that address the prioritized needs, and we have evaluated the process and the learnings acquired regarding mental health and everything related to participatory research methodology. During the process, we had planned to involve families, but motivating them to participate has been a challenging task.

The results of implementing Healthy Minds in our school are still in a very early phase, although they reflect an increased awareness among students about the importance of promoting mental health. They have begun to integrate participatory research as a process to solve problems that affect them in collaboration with other stakeholders, and they have designed an action plan for the promotion of mental health. The activities that have been carried out are few, and we will evaluate how to implement it further in the coming school year by involving more stakeholders and incorporating it into the Educational Project of the school.

The Guidance Department of CDP Juan XXIII Chana in Granada has implemented an educational project called “Healthy Minds”, within its Tutorial Action Plan, which involves participatory research with an Open Schooling approach, where the students themselves become active agents in promoting mental health. The implementation has been carried out within the framework of the European project CONNECT.

We have conducted this project with 6 class groups from 1st and 3rd year of Secondary Education (180 students and their families). Each group has worked through the sessions designed by Healthy minds, and we have implemented an action plan with various activities based on the identified mental health needs.

Firstly, we delved into the concept of health by analysing the definition proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Through this, we discovered that there are different types of health, not only physical but also social and mental. We analysed what they had in common and found that emotional well-being was the common term. At this point, the students identified risk and protective factors for mental health, based on which they prioritized the ones they considered most important to design and implement an action plan. Students proposed to create an “Emotional Kit” as a solution. They have suggested a set of tools to protect themselves in risky situations and promote emotional well-being. Finally, they reflected on the learning process and the impact on mental health promotion. Throughout the process, teachers and families have been involved, allowing for collaborative design of solutions.

Among the results and impact of Healthy Minds in our educational community, we can highlight a greater awareness among students of the need to focus on mental health and their ability to contribute to solving a problem that affects them through participatory research. The self-organization of students has also been promoted, and there has been a greater commitment from the school institution to improve mental health promotion. The school will start working on creating a physical space that promotes emotional well-being, which will be called the “Emotional Classroom”. Additionally, the Guidance Department will design interdisciplinary activities to promote students’ well-being in collaboration with the “Healthy habits and lifestyle” program already allocated at the school.

Care: Students were interested and concerned around mental health, which is a real-life problem. The question we asked to attract the interest of students was: What is Mental Health for you? Do you think it can be cured?  Students who participated in the activities were 52 students of 4th of primary, of 9 and 10 years.

Know:  Students used knowledge about values and ethics, of the environment, of the senses and application of part of the scientific method.  The skills that students practiced were to ask questions, analyze data, discuss claims and evidence, take and write conclusions.

Do: At the end, students prepared a mural with all the questions and answers of the research on mental health, with proposals for improvement and finally elaborated a presentation in digital format to prepare the participation in the sentinel congress held in the auditorium of the Cosmocaixa in Barcelona. They completed the activities in groups and supported by community members.

Findings related to Open Schooling approach:  The activity did not fit in the curriculum. It was challenging and innovative. Open schooling might be useful for other teachers because it can change the vision of students in relation to mental health problems and how to help people who suffer from it.

Change/innovation supported by:

[X] schoolhead  [   ] school association/network    [  ] local government [X] Other:  Living Lab for Health

Students’ Outcomes: Students learned about mental health concepts and that related diseases can be suffered by anyone and at any age. As an example, a student mentioned “When I talk to my psychiatrist, I feel much better”. With these words he shared and normalized going to the psychiatrist and the work that these specialists do.

Care: The students addressed a real problem, which is the impact of plastics on the food they come into contact with and thus on our health, and their presence as microplastics in the food chain. They were concerned about the amount of plastic they use at individual and family level in terms of food and recorded it in a shared document. The labelling of plastics was another interesting element to investigate. They were interested in the fate of plastics after use, both in the disposal sites and in the recycling sites. Also, the possibility of replacing them with other less harmful materials.The students who participated in the activities belonged to a class of 22 students in the second grade of high school, aged 16-17 years old.

Know: Students used chemistry knowledge about polymers, both artificial and natural. The technology of plastics is not taught in school and so students are not aware of the problems associated with their safe use. Thus, through the project, they investigated the safety of plastics in terms of their use in food packaging and storage (the material to be studied accompanying the scenario was posted on eclass).

They produced a bioplastic from a potato (following research) and investigated the role of the plasticiser. They filmed the experiment and entered it into an official competition of video experiments (PANECFE). They also tried to produce bioplastic from milk. They simulated a plastic recycling plant (sorting by type of plastic using special labelling). They proposed an experimental test to determine the type of unlabelled plastic, following research.

They worked in groups to investigate microplastics (sources, shape, size, airborne dispersion) using an online activity and a prototype worksheet. They studied recent articles on the detection of microplastics in the human body. To resolve questions and obtain additional information they contacted research scientists via videoconferencing.

The skills the students practiced were:

1. searching, evaluating and using information from the internet
2. scientific methodology (hypothesis, experiment, conclusion) – design and implementation of an experiment
3. critical thinking
4. decision-making after discussion
5. cooperation with peers within the programme and other European school programmes (Erasmus+ , European Parliament Ambassador School Programme)
6. communication with scientists
7. synthesis of opinions and formulation of proposals
8. digital creation
9. the use of collaborative digital tools
10. linking academic knowledge to everyday life.

Do: In the end, the students prepared

1. a podcast on the European School Radio platform about the project (in cooperation with our school’s Erasmus+ programme)
2. a proposal which they submitted to the Future of Europe Conference (Objective: Sustainable Development – Health and Well-being) and to the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs’ conference simulation platform (in cooperation with the European EPAS programme)
3. an information leaflet on the correct use and disposal of plastics, for distribution to families and schools
4. poster on the creation and impact of microplastics, to be displayed in schools
5. presentation for participation in the National Student Conference CONNECT 2022.

Note: all relevant documents and links are posted on the CONNECT platform Completed the activities as a team and supported by the families, the school’s management and the Teachers’ Association

Conclusions on Open Schooling: The activity was integrated into the curriculum. The proposed scenario was enriched with additional activities following the students’ interests and current events (see microplastics). It was extremely useful and innovative, combining research – communication with scientists – collaboration with European school projects – creation, highlighting a problem of everyday life that is not directly perceived and quite prominent (creation and presence of microplastics). Open schooling can be useful for other teachers because it enables them to open up educational horizons. They do not remain attached to the textbook and curriculum but are able to explore topics of everyday interest developing scientific thinking in students.

The change/innovation was supported by:

[ x ] School management [ x ] school association/network
[ x ] Local government [ ] Other: ________________________________

Student results: The students were very pleased with the opportunity to meet scientists and get information from them. Their participation in every kind of creation (experiment, poster, podcast…) excited them. By the end of the project they were more confident in presenting and scientifically supporting their knowledge. As an example, a student with a low communication profile claimed his participation in the CONNECT Student Conference, worked diligently to prepare for it and represented our team deservedly.

This practice contributed to the increase of:
[ x ] engaging families with sciences [ x ] involving girls in science [ x ] raising awareness among students about careers in the natural sciences

Please specify: Families were actively involved in the first stage, helping to identify the link between plastics and food and the problem they pose. The children’s mothers and their brothers and sisters were mainly involved. The girls made up the vast majority of the class and were very enthusiastic during the project. Of these, most will pursue Science Studies.

Care: The planet is facing many problems of different kinds. But often we need to start with the simple problems of our community in order to find sustainable solutions that will last. In this way, we become familiar with the ‘culture of active citizenship’, learn to find solutions, implement them and take a keen interest in our neighbourhood. Every neighbourhood has its own problems, which often apply to the wider context of our city. Thus, the 16 pupils of E2 class of our school decided to deal with the problems of their neighbourhood.

Know: The educational scenario “I capture through photography the problems of my place and implement solutions” aimed to motivate students to connect their knowledge about light, to use the tool of photography, to depict problems of their wider neighbourhood and then, to find solutions, to implement and show them in the form of a multimodal installation.

Do: The students photographed the various problems in their neighbourhood, grouped them together and then found solutions for each one. In particular, they contacted the city’s kennel, interviewed volunteers and in consultation with them collected food for the strays. They then sent a letter to the town hall secretary citing problems with the sidewalk, trash and some large trees in the area. Finally, they made their own leaflets about illegal parking and distributed them in the area. They also made and placed recycling bins in various places (outside the school).
Conclusions on Open Schooling: This project opened the classroom to the local community. The students looked forward to doing the project at different times of the day, as everything they made, wrote and created had a direct impact on their daily lives and was characterized by an actual and concrete “meaning”.

The contact with scientists and community stakeholders was particularly helpful and gave the children added interest.

The change/innovation was supported by:

[ x ] School management [ x ] school association/network
[ x ] Local government [ ] Other: ________________________________

Student results: The students organized a multimodal installation in the classroom and presented in various forms what they did through the project. They made artworks, games, added sound and image to their thoughts and actions. The exhibition seemed “fantastic”, “special” and “interesting” as the visiting parents described it.

This practice contributed to the increase of: the Director of 41th Primary school of Heraklion [ x ] engaging families with sciences [ x ] involving girls in science [ x ] raising awareness among students about careers in the natural sciences

Please specify: All students participated and cooperated. The result was very encouraging for all of us. Girls and boys found motivation and interest in the activities. Parents were delighted with the enthusiasm of their children and worked very well together.

Care: The students wondered about the origin but also the future of the pink sand on the famous and highly touristic beaches of western Crete. A real problem that concerns the local community for reasons both ecological and mainly economic. The question that caught the students’ interest was “what is pink sand and how long will it continue to exist?” They were asked to discuss this question in the form of a questionnaire with their relatives and record their answers. These answers, which highlighted the essential ignorance of the local community about the “pink sand” phenomenon, were investigated in the laboratory and thoroughly discussed in the following months. The students who participated in the activities were students of 1st and 3th grade of High School and mainly of two specific classes of A1 and C1, where I was supporting teacher. The main research core consisted of two mixed age groups with a total of 17 students. Many more students from other departments also participated in the various activities, excursions, briefings and visits, fulfilling to a large extent my expectation to be informed, through participation and to stimulate curiosity about the program, of almost the entire school.

Know: The students used knowledge about single-celled organisms, food webs, the systematic classification of organisms into categories based on how they feed and how they use energy, fossils, marine biodiversity, ecology, human intervention, pollution and contamination, microplastics , mainly knowledge from the field of biology but also physics and chemistry (eg elementary nomenclature of chemical elements).

The skills the students acquired through continuous practice were using a stereoscope and microscope, using laboratory forceps, precision weighing, observing and creating data for analysis, discussing claims and evidence, collaborating both with each other and with research agencies i.e. teamwork. They understood how important the scheduling is in a research process and in general. How conclusions are made and how they are presented to the general public. They experienced media and conference presence and practiced what is called “communicative courage”. Although the skills listed below, are not skills in the strict sense of the term, I believe that self-discipline and self-confidence were successfully practiced especially in the students who “carried the burden” of publicizing our research.

Do: At the end, the students prepared a powerpoint presentation of our research, took micro-photographs and sent material (sand) to Germany where the foraminifera species were identified and entered on the website foraminifera.eu. They completed the activities working as a team under my guidance. Our research work was presented at the student conference organized by the Regional Directorate of Education of Crete and the CONNECT program, while we also presented the topic on a local TV Station. Conclusions on Open Schooling: The activity was not integrated into the timetable or the curriculum exactly. However, it accompanied, and through the research he gave meaning and explained basic material of high school biology, mainly about cells, food webs, the systematic classification of organisms into basic categories based on how they feed and how they utilize energy, fossils, marine biodiversity, ecology, pollution and contamination etc. Apart from these, through the sensitive microscopic organisms we were studying, we dealt with and discussed issues such as climate change and the way it can affect them as well as more generally human intervention and activities such as tourism, while they were given the opportunity to come into contact in practice in terms and concepts such as microenvironment, pseudopods, plasma membrane, indicator organisms, etc.

But, because our work was essentially primary research, the students came into contact with the process of producing new knowledge. They saw the exciting, gratifying and sometimes painful aspects of the research process. The complexity of biological issues and the multitude of factors that need investigation. In other words, they understood experientially the importance of asking questions, organizing them and studying them. They also understood that this is a team effort and that collaboration with other scientists and agencies is absolutely essential. They understood that not everything has been discovered and that not all the answers are in a mobile phone… They saw that scientists do not know everything, that they disagree
and make mistakes (eg at first we thought that the pink grains are broken corals, then there was a disagreement about the how deep the particular foraminifers live). They got a first idea of how important different views and approaches are in science and saw that there are no absolute truths and that biology is full of “exceptions”. They learned the importance of questioning and practiced deductive thinking.

For all the above reasons, I believe that the program was a challenge since it was largely about research in “deep unknown waters”, it was innovative and of course many times useful, mainly because it was understood that science is not something distant but something everyday that deals with ” our own questions” and that we can “use it too”, while also due to the pleasant way in which it was carried out it contributed to the creation of a positive attitude of children towards science and especially biology.

Experiential open schooling education is more than important to escape from the “museum” perception and practice of “transferring” knowledge provided by the Greek school. A common “argument” of the children is “and where will I need all this?”. The teaching material is far removed from the daily life of the students, or at least it seems so since the connection with the daily life is not made and the provided knowledge is not used to solve questions, searches and problems that children have. Practical – experiential and seemingly non-material activities, at least for the field of natural sciences, I think are not only useful but necessary especially at these ages when children should have the opportunity to show off their inclinations, preferences and “talent” and acquire a positive attitude towards science.

For some teachers, these practices may be a problem because they are out of the ordinary and need to be informed and above all to act outside the context in which they have learned. In other words, it needs work. But they ignore the “rejuvenating” effect that these practices have both on the way we as teachers perceive our work and on the relationships with students and parents, which are significantly upgraded. When children get excited about something, they talk about it at home and parents realize if the child goes to school happily.

The change/innovation was supported by:

[ x ] School management [ x ] school association/network
[ x ] Local government [x ] Other: Parents

Student results: The core of students that finally formed after 2-3 weeks were very cooperative, consistent and hardworking. Participation was high from the beginning with few drop-outs, mainly due to other activities at the same time or the bus schedule (many children in our school came from distant villages), but also with new entries “on the way”. And the fact that our meetings were held every Friday, that is, on the last day of the week, after the end of the program clock, and they participated for an hour or two more
shows, that their process was pleasant. Several even came from villages relatively far away and were awake very early in order to come to school.

In the 3 educational trips we carried out (KPE Vammos, Elafonissi and MAICH) many more students participated, so that the cost of transportation could be covered but also because I wanted an expanded participation in general so that our research could be embraced by the whole school. We always combined research with free time and sports, especially at the MAICH where we carried out an important part of our research, since the professional micro-photographs took place there, while overall its facilities were offered for many parallel activities. The goal was of course to make the whole process as pleasant as possible.

I consider this goal to have been achieved. To quote the words of a student: “I hated biology, I was thinking of becoming a philologist, but now I’m thinking of becoming a biologist” or, others, “this is how school should be”, “scientists have a good time”, etc.

In terms of learning outcomes, starting with the simplest ones, eg converting lt to ml, gr to mgr for the needs of weighing. The clarification of the difference in volume and mass, up to specialized knowledge about marine biology, such as:

• what are foraminifera; they are not shells and which creatures we call shells,
• what is meant by a decomposer, an autotrophic and a heterotrophic organism,
• what is the life cycle, and other questions that are difficult to determine since the questions and discussion often arose spontaneously.

This practice contributed to the increase of:
[ x ] engaging families with sciences [ x ] involving girls in science [ x ] raising awareness among students about careers in the natural sciences

1. The subject of pink sand is something that concerns the daily life of the residents of the area, so there was a relative curiosity from the start anyway. Initially, the opinion of the parents was asked to be recorded, and not only, regarding “what is the reason”, “if there is a decrease in the phenomenon”, “if you think it is in danger of disappearing”. Then some parents who deal with the sea gave us important information and also brought samples very important for our search about where they live (depth distance from the shore) and in what form they are first washed up as pink grains of “sand”. There have been parents who have expressed to me their personal interest and their desire to help in whatever is needed. Also, no one raised an issue or refused to pay when needed for our travel on educational trips. All this shows that the program was accepted and therefore, even just by talking with their children, some parents more or less engaged in science through it.
2. The girls in our school, and in general I believe, have a better presence in the classroom and in the lessons than the boys, at least on average. Nevertheless, there are stereotypes and prejudices against science and mathematics. Many girls have the opinion that they don’t understand maths, physics or chemistry. The subject of biology, at least in our school, was not very popular. However, slightly more girls than boys participated in the program. Most of the students were hardworking and responsible, participating and asking questions. In my opinion, on the contrary to what they wanted to believe, some of them are, “born researchers”. They were oblivious to the microscope, while being particularly skilled with the tools and inventive in the way they carried out the activities. Through the program inclinations were encouraged and revealed. One student revealed that she liked to observe and photograph spiders, but had never shared it with her friends since “spider observation” is not considered a “female activity”. Along with the foraminifera, we also worked on and identified the student’s spiders, something that the others eventually found interesting as well. The girls enjoyed working with the laboratory and microscopes as well as tinkering with the tweezers. The visit to the Mediterranean Agricultural Institute of Chania (MAICH) where all the research staff we met were female biologists and agronomists, I believe contributed to breaking the convenient stereotypes of female students. However, if I judge from their reaction, the publicity of our research in the media and at the conference
   played a role. Apart from the fact that they want to make their own people happy, girls at this age are very involved with celebrities, social networks and want to project themselves in a corresponding way. They like to have an audience. It is characteristic that both in the presentation at the conference and in our presence on Crete TV, no boy wanted to appear in any way, while most of the girls, on the contrary, wanted to and showed remarkable seriousness and discipline throughout the preparation of the presentation. Our 16-minute appearance in a midday light show of general interest on Crete TV, with TV presenters from the modeling field, was important, I believe, in showing some girls that science and these areas are not completely incompatible after all. How the “beautiful” appreciate and admire science and there is general acceptance and appeal. That various avenues open up through research, which may include publicity. Likewise with the conference, although online, the fact that they will be seen by students from many parts of Greece appealed to the girls, especially since they were convinced of the importance of our work. In conclusion, I believe that the area in which the program was most successful was in relation to girls and their engagement in science.
3. The reasons I mentioned above also apply to boys. Therefore, as a whole, through a research process, the students came into contact with the real tangible world of natural sciences, which is admittedly if not always exciting, certainly interesting. In summary, I will dare to “predict”, although this also depends on their teachers in the years to come, that this High School will produce natural scientists…

Care: The students dealt with the issue of the integration of RES in the landscape, a real problem that occupied the students of Tinos in view of the massive installation of wind turbines in the landscape of Tinos. The students who participated in the activities were twenty-eight (28), 14-year-old students of the 2nd Class of the High School.

Know: The students used knowledge about the role and importance of RES considering their rational integration in landscapes and ecosystems, considering their functions and value.

The skills the students practiced were:

• question processing,
• data analysis,
• discussion of claims and evidence,
• drawing or drawing conclusions,
• familiarity with the ways and stages of conducting a research,
• familiarity with techniques for searching, evaluating and presenting information through a variety of sources,
• development of collaboration, creative expression and presentation skills.

Do: At the end, students put their knowledge into practice by doing field research. A 2-day Educational Visit was made to the landscape of the paths of Andros (in collaboration with KPE Korthiou). The program of the visit included group work in and outside the field, namely: Practical-Experiential Part: hiking, information, observation, photography, exploration and activities, landscape experience with all the senses.

In detail, the practical-experiential part contained:

• Observation and recording of field characteristics
• Familiarity with the space through all the senses
• Perception of space through various games
• Identification of species of flora (mainly) and fauna
• Map reading
• Completing worksheets
• Presentation of the habitats of Andros and the most important historical stations
• Discussion about the needs of the people who created the landscape of Andros.

Creative Part: recording of valuable elements and problems of the landscape and ecosystem, discussion related to threats and proposals for better management. The result was a group presentation of the results of all work groups through a powerpoint work, which was presented by student representatives at an event organized by the High School of Tinos at the Spiritual Center of the Holy Foundation of Evangelistria on Thursday 25 May 2022 at 19.00, in which they took part and their parents/guardians. The presentation emerged from the discussions with the scientists in the context of the “learn” section and from the practical-experiential part of the training which included filling in worksheets (of the KPE), individual notes and group discussions.

The parents/guardians of the students who participated in the CONNECT program were informed about its content both in person (those who visited the school) and electronically with frequent messages describing the activities. This ensured as active an involvement as possible them in the whole project (a fact that helped to cultivate the scientific capital). The results of their program were presented extensively at a live event organized by the school.

Conclusions on Open Schooling: The action was not embedded in the curriculum, but indirectly related to it. It was useful and innovative as it related to the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes (as discussed below). Open schooling can also be useful for other teachers because it can combine knowledge and apply it in the field (eg identifying and valuing natural and cultural wealth of an area)..

The change/innovation was supported by:

[ x ] School management [ ] school association/network [ ] Local government [ ] Other: ________________________________

Student results: The students showed interest in the thematic subjects of the program, submitted questions and participated in discussions. They took into account what the scientists conveyed to them and a relationship of trust was cultivated. This was reflected in the results of the action. Notably, there were also examples of relatively weak students showing great interest in the collaborative method and field research and taking initiatives. They responded with particular enthusiasm to the educational visit (outside the island), which was an important motivation for their activation at all levels of thinking and action.

This practice contributed to the increase of:

[ ] engaging families with sciences [ x ] involving girls in science [ x ] raising awareness among students about careers in the natural sciences

Please specify: Parents participated in the collection of questionnaires for the student survey. The girls actively participated in the mapping and literature review and in general all students showed a special interest in digital maps and the contribution of geomorphological terrain to road construction.

CARE: The socio-scientific issue was on how to improve the prevention of Covid.19 at the school. The professionals that gave support were the scientific community from Escoles Sentinella project: science communicators, biologists, epidemiologists, paediatricians among others, helping on the facilitation of the participatory research. From an invitation letter to the project and with some previous knowledge explorations the students get fully committed to the project. 

KNOW: As the activities were implemented from the tutoring sessions, the debate competence and also the citizenship education topic (social values content) were the aspects more worked using this CONNECT resource. Despite we did not go in depth with biological issues, the students also learned a lot about how the coronavirus is spread and why do we need those preventions measures to protect everybody from the transmission.  

DO: Students developed communication skills and skills to create, design and edit video, as they chose disseminate their results through a video. Students also developed iinquiry skills, participation skills and transdisciplinary methodologies. The science actions included teamwork, collaborative learning within the class and with other stakeholders and that science useful to solve real-life challenges. 

Findings about open schooling: The activity they did was adapted to the curriculum of Obligatory Secondary Education (ESO) and it was implemented at the tutoring sessions. 

Results for students: Students get more confident on debating and on presenting their own opinions to the group. The activity has led to greater awareness of Covid-19 prevention and how the measures to achieve that can be improved by a participatory research process. 

CONNECT Resources used: LINK 

CARE: The students were involved in the discussion about the COVID-19 contingency plan. The participants were 180 students, between 14 and 17 years old, from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades of high school, with 162 of them having completed the scientific actions, with their families, a teacher, a researcher, and a scientist shared their concerns about the issues of cleaning and contamination, where the power of alcohol can make a difference. Questions about why alcohol, why 70% alcohol, why in the hands, how and why the contagion of COVID-19 occurs, how to prevent it, among others, were questions raised and discussed. The main purpose was to train multipliers students to disseminate the scientific knowledge studied at school to families and the surrounding community.

KNOW: Different activities were developed, in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary way, in ​​Natural Sciences, and with an emphasis on the scientific content of Chemistry, particularly the analysis of data about alcohol in the prevention of COVID-19. In this way, the students became interested in the study, understanding the organic functions of 70% alcohol and its interactions in hygiene and contamination prevention measures. The students participated in carrying out the learning activities, expanding their repertoire of knowledge, based on science. The skills developed address the student’s ability to be a protagonist, acting as multipliers of scientific knowledge in COVID-19 prevention measures, especially speaking with property of how the destruction of the coronavirus happens with the use of alcohol. As attitudes, it was sought to develop the prevention of health and human life; to value the knowledge acquired in the school environment in the practice of the context in which one lives and to argue, with scientific property, in the discussions and practices of the use of alcohol in the prevention of COVID-19.

DO: Students were involved in the following activities:

• Analyze hygiene issues in the school, family, and society context as fundamental measures to prevent COVID-19.
• Contextualize the scientific content with the current situation of COVID-19, in school environments and the safety measures to be taken to preserve everyone’s health and life.
• Provide experiences on hand hygiene with soap and alcohol to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the light of laboratory experimentation.
• Develop in school spaces the skills of being a protagonist in making responsible decisions in the face of COVID-19.
• Prepare students to be multipliers of correct information about COVID-19 hygiene measures, covering family, school, leisure, social and cultural environments.

FINDINGS: The open scenario methodology used was project-based collaborative learning. Students brought their own questions, discussed with the scientists and their families. The laboratory experiences made it possible to verify scientific knowledge in practice. The integration of the school curriculum with scientific action enabled new teaching and learning practices. It is observed that both complement each other in the teaching and learning processes.

OUTCOMES: In general, the students actively participated in the proposed activities on the study of alcohol in times of COVID-19. Always interacting with significant questions to expand knowledge through the scientific content of chemistry that guide the benefits and risk of using soap and alcohol in hygiene in the pandemic. It was surprising how the students began to act during and after the study was carried out. The dominance of scientific argumentation among peers was evident. The ability to make responsible decisions in the use of alcohol in hand hygiene in different spaces and places was really developed. It was gratifying to see the change in students’ habits in terms of caring, knowing and doing. However, the very social distancing in the pandemic caused a lot of disruption in the school routine and the return of face-to-face classes with 50% of students reduced the time for carrying out learning activities. Thus, the action did not have direct contact with the scientist as expected.

Find out more here: Our report. 

CARE: The students were involved in the discussion about the COVID-19 contingency plan. The participants were 47 students, in three classes of 1st year of high school. As a guiding question, the importance of vaccination was worked on to overcome the pandemic of the new coronavirus, together with their families, a teacher, a researcher. Due to the pandemic scenario, it was not possible to have the synchronous participation of experts during the science-action, but activities were developed that sought to involve the family in the debate on scientific issues. To build knowledge and facilitate discussions in the hybrid format, debates were encouraged through virtual learning environments.

KNOW: Interdisciplinary activities were developed, even without the involvement of a biology teacher, for example, when dealing with the importance of vaccination against pandemic diseases, health issues and social well-being. In addition, we worked with the abstract textual genre, its structure and organization. The proposed activities aimed to improve the skills of asking questions, analyzing data, verifying information and sources, weighing arguments, drawing conclusions and sharing ideas. As for the attitudes to be developed, we sought to value public health and social well-being, science and scientific investigation and collaborative work; the notion of collectivity and the consideration of data and information, seeking to verify its reliability, as well as the importance of debate and respect for the collective construction of knowledge.

DO: For the development of this science-action activity, the following activities were carried out:

• Previous conversation (with slideshow support) about the importance of vaccination, vaccines approved in Brazil and their risks and benefits;
• Installation of a virtual wall – the Padlet platform was used for this activity;
• Reading of the selected article, which will be summarized later;
• Verification and verification of the information presented in the article read;
• Sharing of sources consulted on the virtual wall;
• Discussion of researched information and expansion of the repertoire on the topic;
• Work with the characteristics of the summary genre, with the support of slides;
• Presentation of the abstract production proposal.
• Production and sharing of abstracts on the virtual wall.

FINDINGS: The open scenario methodology used was project-based collaborative learning, even in a virtual environment. Students brought their own questions, discussed with the scientists and their families. The fact that the students had devices that allowed the research and assembly of the virtual wall (smartphones, computers, internet, etc.) was fundamental for the development of the activity. In addition, teamwork also contributed to making the activity more interesting for students. It is essential for the teacher to have more ready-made (or easily adaptable) materials, such as videos, podcasts, slides, graphics, etc., to use as support during classes. The discussions carried out through participatory science contributed to a greater awareness of students about vaccination against the coronavirus, and these were shared with the community through the production of a school summary, which was posted on a virtual wall to facilitate access for students. all.

OUTCOMES: The students really enjoyed the activities, as they stimulate debate on topics that are relevant to them. In any case, the proposed activities were carried out in a collaborative way, which contributed to their engagement. It was interesting to see how the students gradually engaged during the activities, especially the debates. At first, there was some reluctance to participate in the discussions, perhaps for fear of not having their position respected or valued. When they realized that their contributions were accepted and taken into account, more and more students decided to present their positions. The students were very interested in the topics under discussion. In addition, they were critical of the researched data, verifying sources and prioritizing information from scientific studies. It was very gratifying to see how much they liked the activity, requesting that other actions be carried out with the same format. Being a content school, it was not possible to dedicate more classes to the activity, which made some steps to be carried out in a reduced way. For this reason, it was also not possible to involve any professor of Natural Sciences – leaving this question to be adapted in future studies and applications. Due to the pandemic, it was not possible to bring outside experts to the school, so we seek texts with scientific credibility and involve the family in the proposed discussions.

CARE: The students were involved in the discussion about the COVID-19 contingency plan. The participants were 95 students, between 14 and 16 years old, from the 1st grade of high school, of which 76 completed the scientific actions, along with their families, a teacher, a researcher and a scientist who shared their concerns about COVID-19 and ideas about as the artistic making, especially the construction of obelisks, has its historical and cultural role, in this case, as pictograms representing the care against the contamination of COVID-19, they could compose an obelisk emphasizing the historical and artistic context of the pandemic.

KNOW: Curricular knowledge was worked, in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary way, emphasizing the analysis of historical and scientific data in the disciplines of Art and Science. This made it possible, in a practical way, for students to interact and play a leading role in the learning process: the analysis of cultural heritage in the historical context of humanity; the identification of pictograms in visual communication contextualized with the colors of the traffic light and with Covid-19; exhibition of the study carried out in open spaces at the school and presentation of the artistic productions of the obelisks emphasizing the awareness of the theme addressed were the learning opportunities offered to the students. Quality of life, health, prevention, language and communication, artistic creation, pictograms, colors, cultural heritage of humanity in relation to COVID-29 were the bases of learning.

The ability to relate knowledge with pictograms, to establish relationships between communication, art, and knowledge, were developed through individual and collective practices contemplating the analysis and experiences that addressed the artistic and cultural heritage monuments contextualized with COVID-19. The skills to make responsible decisions to ensure the quality of life in times of a pandemic, as well as the value of human life in/in the world, were also development focuses. As attitudes, it was sought to protect human life; to identify measures to prevent and control the contamination of the coronavirus, to redefine the school curriculum with theories and practices in times of COVID-19, to value the knowledge built in the school environment for life in society and to promote reflections with research at school, family and community about the pandemic in real time.

DO: Students were involved in the following activities:

• Analyze Obelisks from Egypt and Brazil, regarding their contributions to the history of humanity and the meaning of the images in the historical, political, social, and cultural context.
• Contextualize the importance of the “Obelisk” monument in the record of historical facts on the timeline in different spaces.
• Searching bibliographic sources in real time about COVID-19.
• Reading of the material available on the prevention and vulnerability of the cities of Santa Catarina, in the pandemic, including the city where the school is located.
• Understand and interpret the language and communication of pictograms in the context of society as language and communication contextualized with COVID-19.
• Elaboration and exhibition of the “Obelisk of COVID-19” with pictograms of prevention against coronavirus.

FINDINGS: The open scenario methodology used was project-based collaborative learning. Students brought their own questions, discussed with the scientists and their families. They learned the artistic language in a contextualized and meaningful way. Teachers found the open teaching activity useful for contextualizing COVID-19 from the perspective of its artistic-cultural and historical representation. The adaptations took place in accordance with the theories and learning practices of the New High School. In general, it fits perfectly into the school curriculum by exploring and complementing actions already developed and based on competences and skills in teaching by areas of knowledge. This facilitated the planning of actions and the applicability of learning activities. Teachers meet weekly and seek theories and practices compatible with the subject addressed, technological resources that expand the possibilities of access to science.

OUTCOMES: The participation of students was significant in carrying out the activities. It was evident that the dialogue between the areas of knowledge was relevant for the engagement, interaction, and production of scientific knowledge. Students felt protagonists in the learning processes. There have been changes in attitudes and habits in relation to care in the prevention of COVID-19 in school, family, and society spaces. It is not always possible to achieve the participation of all, however, it is observed that the number of students who were not included in the learning process is minimal.

The expectations of the students surprised each class, as they eagerly awaited something different to learn about the historical and cultural monuments; the pictograms; the colors most present in the daily lives of people in/of society which are: green, yellow, and red that indicate responsible actions to be taken in traffic and prevention against COVID-19. It was wonderful, the moment that the students were able to make the relationship between Art and Science in real time. The loom in the learning process made it possible to reframe the school curriculum in dialogue with everyday knowledge of students and family members to adapt to the new social and cultural context in times of COVID-19. There was the scientific perception that we are united and interconnected with the universe we live in and subject to changes for the quality of life.

Find out more here: Our report.