In the last six years Children´ s Universities have spread very successfully all over the University landscape of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It was the time of the so called Pisa shock, and the run to the programs of the Children´s Universities showed, that the children were thirsty for knowledge and fascinated by science, when the challenge fits. The programs - mostly a lecture of a professor – seem to attract children between 8 to 12 years, but obviously not teenagers.

 

The Young University Innsbruck offers beside interactive courses for children also special programs for teenagers between 15 to 19 years (Youth into Science, Young researchers are wanted!). More about the programs can be seen at the webpage.

 

But a gap exists for young teenagers, especially for the age from 12 to 14-15. In Innsbruck it was recognized, that it is very difficult to attract this group of young people. At the EUCU.NET Conference in Tübingen in February, Silvia Prock from the “Junge Uni” had a talk about “How fit are children´s Univerisites for teenagers?”, and there she met Margarida Almeida from the University of Aveiro in Portugal. We talked about her programs for teenagers and that they work well. The University of Aveiro has developed very sucessfully science programs for teenagers, for example the Summer Academy, the Science and Technology Open Week and the Fábrica de Ciência Viva / Fábrica – Aveiro’s Live Science Centre.

 

So the University of Aveiro has already experience with teenagers and science, and for the "Junge Uni Innsbruck" it was very interesting and helpful to get insights into their approach, and to get into contact with the University of Aveiro by forming a Mentoring Partnership.

From the 12^th to 17^th of July I took place in the Summer Academy at the University of Aveiro. It is the 4^th Summer Academy (Academia de Verão) in Aveiro. 200 teenagers from all over Portugal had applied per internet for the academy. More girls than boys applied. The University recruits the teenagers at the school visits they make in whole Portugal.

 

The teenagers between 13-18 years slept on the campus, the younger ones („Junior Academy“ – 10-12 years) went home in the evening. The juniors had to pay 80 Euros, the older teenagers 150 Euros per week.

 

The teenagers arrived on Sunday afternoon and were warmly welcomed by the more of 20 monitors, the vicerector of the University and by Margarida Almeida and Ana Henriques, who were responsible for the organisation. The monitors, students of the University, accompanied the teenagers the whole week. Rodrigo Castro from UPAJE, a company, which has lots of experiences with young people, was responsibel for social aspects, group dynamic processes and conflict management. The monitors were specially trained to handle social processes between the teenagers, which I think is very important, when you work with teenagers.

 

The scientific program started on Monday. The teenagers could choose between 9 different programs: Mathematics, languages, geoscience, chemistry, biology, ceramic science, electronics and computing and mechanics. Every day at 5 p.m. the sport programs (baseball, capoeira) and the foto safari started. They could also take part in a boat trip on the Ria, the large river system near the sea. In the evening there where several activities like karaoke, World Cafe and games.

The organisation and performance of the whole week were perfect. Especially the monitors did excellent work. They had to take care that the timetable of the program was followed, which was not always so easy, because teenagers don´t do always what you want them to do. They also looked after the social processes between the teenagers and were responsible for the good atmosphere at the campus and during the programs.

 

The scientific programs I visited (biology, geosciences, chemistry show, electronics and computing) where very well prepared. Lots of material was used and it was didactically well considered. The teenagers were well integrated and could do a lot of things by themselves. I liked the program of geosciences very much: the two scientists presented minerals to the teenagers. They made a mineral quiz which was not only very informative but also very funny. Prominent was also the program at the Fábrica, especially the chemistry and physics show was perfect.

 

I also talked to Rodrigo Castro from UPAJE. He suggested that the UPAJE should be involved earlier and should help to make the program together with the University. UPAJE has a lot of experience with teenagers and knows how to attract them.

 

I was astonished that more girls than boys took part in the Academia. Here in Innsbruck, at the programs of the „Junge Uni“ it is unfortunately the opposite – we can´t attract girls in the same amount as boys.

 

As a result of the visit in Aveiro we here in Innsbruck would like to „copy“ the successful model of the Academia. We intend to organize also such a summer academy for teenagers in summer 2010, hopefully with the advice of our Portugal partners, Margarida Almeida and Ana Henriques of the University of Aveiro.