Context

The identified background of the project idea relies on the evidence of the limited diffusion of scientific culture and awareness.

Promoting Life Long Learning strategies for scientific issues is more difficult, compared to other subject areas because when the compulsory educational path ends up, those that are not interested in science are more likely to abandon the subject completely.

To address this situation The Chemistry Is All Around Us project intends to identify the existing successful strategies for the promotion of Life Long Learning in scientific issue and spread them through the potential of ICT, in order to provide a method and related educational tools, that can promote the possibility for all to informally learn about science throughout their life.

Among the scientific fields, Chemistry is identified as an exemplary Case Study as it is recognised as one of the most problematic subject. That is also because, Chemistry suffers from a growing unpopularity due to the fact that Media often make improper connection between Chemistry and the ideas of pollution, health threats, manipulation of natural ingredients etc.

Objectives

The Chemistry Is All Around Us Project intends to:

• Carry out a comparison between the strategies implemented in the 6 countries involved (i.e. Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, Germany, Greece , Italy, and Turkey) for the promotion and diffusion of Chemistry (chosen as exemplary case studies for scientific subjects).
• Develop strategies and tools for the promotion of lifelong learning in scientific subjects and in Chemistry in Particular

Target Group

The project is addressed to:

• Teachers, adult teaching providers and trainers working at all levels of the educational and training systems.
• Students of all level of the educational and training systems of the countries involved.
• Adult learners.

Activities

The project activities are organized into 3 main Work Packages (WPs)

1) Identification of barriers and success factors in Life Long Learning of scientific subjects

The aim of the Work Package is to carry out an in depth analysis of:

• The main existing documentation concerning the planning and implementation of Life long Learning policies in scientific issues with a specific focus on Chemistry.
• The main reasons and causes that create barriers to the full deployment of Life Long Learning strategies as far as scientific subjects (and chemistry in particular) are concerned
• The main successful national educational initiatives and methodological approaches that are put up at school level for raising students interest towards scientific issues, again, with a specific focus on chemistry.

Results:

• Database of Documents concerning the strategies and policies adopted to promote Life Long Learning in scientific subjects (with a special focus on Chemistry).
• Collection of Case Studies of direct experiences of Life Long Learning initiatives in scientific subjects.

2) Development of a European Strategy for the promotion of Life Long Learning in Scientific Subjects

On the basis of the data collected in the framework of the previous work package, each partner will create a National Report on the situation existing in the country of the partner focusing on:

• The main barriers that affect the success of Life Long Learning in scientific subjects
• The analysis of the successful initiatives carried out to foster the learners’ involvement in scientific issues.
• The analysis of National and Regional strategies to promote Life Long Learning of scientific subjects.

Results:
National and Transnational Reports on Lifelong Learning of Scientific Subjects, focusing on the:

• Analysis of what can be considered the main obstacles to lifelong learning of Chemistry.
• Analysis of the effective initiatives carried out to overcome the barriers identified above.
• Identification of National and Regional strategies to promote Life Long Learning of scientific subjects.

3) Production of education and training material

The aim of this WP is to develop pilot interactive and easy to access educational materials, specifically designed to promote the knowledge of Chemistry.

Results:
Pilot Educational Material for the promotion of Life Long Learning in Chemistry.