Open Call Boosts Science in Porto Schools

The initiative “Scientist Returns to School”, developed by the Native Scientists Association as part of the Open Call 2025, has come to an end after the implementation of several activities in six primary schools in the municipality of Porto, involving 147 primary school students.

Promoted by the Porto City Council, coordinated by Porto Digital, and supported by Porto Innovation Hub and ScaleUp Porto, Open Call 2025 once again fostered projects that strengthen the city’s educational and scientific ecosystem. In this edition, “Scientist Returns to School” consolidated and expanded the work initiated in the previous academic year, reinforcing its mission to bring science closer to children, particularly in socioeconomically vulnerable contexts.

The programme took place at Vilarinha Primary School, Cerco Primary School, Lagarteiro Primary School, Condominhas Primary School, Pasteleira Primary School, and Torrinha Primary School. Throughout the first semester of the current academic year, six activities were carried out by four scientists from Porto, providing children with direct contact with real scientific career paths that are close to their own reality.

Through classroom workshops, preparatory sessions with teachers, specialised training for scientists in science communication for young audiences, and collective reflection moments, the initiative promoted practical and inspiring experiences. This model, based on the methodologies of Circular Education and Science Capital, contributed to stimulating curiosity, critical thinking, and interest in scientific knowledge from the earliest years of schooling.

One of the new features of this edition was the presentation of a new digital platform of resources for experimental science teaching, providing educational content and support tools with the potential for continued use by schools.

With the conclusion of this edition — which involved 6 activities, 6 schools, 4 scientists, and 147 students — the Municipality of Porto reinforces its contribution to the national goal of ensuring that, by 2030, every child meets at least one scientist before completing primary school. The initiative highlights the city’s commitment to educational innovation, inclusion, and the promotion of scientific knowledge, bringing the school community closer to inspiring career paths and new opportunities for the future.

Open Call remains a strategic instrument for fostering innovation and experimentation in the city, mobilising the local ecosystem towards building a more dynamic, connected, creative, and sustainable Porto. More information about the selected activities is available in the Open Call website.