Our desirable futures
Simona Cerrato
April 24, 2024, 12:51 p.m.
The ECSA2024 conference closed with a very special event, the Citizen Science Day, which was held on Saturday 6 April in the wonderful setting of the Natural Science Museum of Vienna. On the balcony overlooking the spectacular circular entrance and imperial staircase, dozens of activities, projects and organisations were available to visitors who in their thousands visited the museum that day. An event that gave us the opportunity to free ourselves from our computer screens and be with people: families, children of all ages, researchers, colleagues all together to explore the potential of citizen science.
Our European Citizen Science project, ECSA and the Vienna University Children’s Office (https://kinderbuero-uniwien.at/en/) of the University of Vienna proposed a participatory activity to reflect together on our future. The Vienna University Children’s Office is an innovative platform for ideas and projects. We develop and implement educational projects in the fields of science, media and democracy with children, young people, families and educational institutions. Our wide range of childcare services is geared to the compatibility of parenthood and career for individuals, companies and organisations in the university and non-university sectors.
We started from the wonderful and very rich map created by young people in Vienna in the Docks for change (https://kinderbuero-uniwien.at/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/03/20230606-dock-for-change-report-final.pdf) project organised and facilitated by the Vienna University Children’s Office, and let people be inspired by the themes represented: food, transportation, energy and green spaces. Everyone could find their desired future on the map and colour it. But not only. Post-its and colours were available to everyone who could therefore express themselves freely with statements, drawings and comments.
There are those who want a cat, a dog or even more frogs in their future, and in general more greenery and nature in our lives. There have been many entries with a strong social connotation, the end of all wars, the destruction of weapons and the destruction of capitalism and patriarchy to arrive at a more equal and just society for everyone.
Here is the final result created by more than 150 people of all ages. Everything was embellished by the colourful flowers that bloomed in the aquarium, also created by the people who visited our stand.
MORE ON DOCK FOR CHANGE
DOCK for Change stands for the development of a new model of equal exchange of knowledge and experience on climate issues. The three-year project combines climate education, democracy education, science communication and entrepreneurship education and brings together children, young people, students, educators and encouraging partners from science and business. Young people gain insight into research and entrepreneurial practice, learn about innovative professional fields and present their ideas and demands to decision-makers and politicians. The encouraging partners benefit from the initiative.
In 2022-23 more than 1000 children participated in the project and produced the map we showed during the Citizen Science Day (Vienna, 6 April).