The main goal of STAGE project is to equip scientists and science communicators with the skills and knowledge necessary to increase public engagement in science. The STAGE project was conceptualized as an approach to address the current and urgent needs of European countries:
- the decline of interest in science
- a developing science distrust
- the need to tackle the climate change crisis
To address these needs, STAGE adopts a gender-inclusivity approach by targeting women scientists‘ engagement in training and designing gender-inclusive materials for public engagement with science. The project promotes the underlying objective of the European Education area through training the future generations in co-creating knowledge for a resilient, inclusive and sustainable society and addresses the priority of developing STEM in higher education and, in particular, women’s participation in STEM.
Through the implementation of the project, we aim to train scientists, especially females who are currently underrepresented in science and in science communication, to communicate science effectively and engage the public in climate change action.
By adopting a gender-inclusive approach to public engagement with science, the project aims to address the following objectives:
- Train scientists to engage public with scientific issues, concepts and actions related to climate change.
- Build the capacity of scientists to reflect critically on the social, historical, cultural and ethical dimensions of science.
- Foster scientists‘ writing and oral skills needed to engage with the public in various spaces, especially in relation to multi-inter-trans-disciplinary topics, like climate change.
- Improve scientists’ understanding of the factors causing distrust towards scientists and disengagement with science.
- Develop scientists’ understanding of how public engagement can benefit their career.
The project objectives include developing and implementing professional development training for scientists on public engagement with science, precisely climate change issues, following a STEM approach and a gender-inclusive approach, and promoting the participation of women in STEM fields. Toward this goal, we present the first version of our toolkit, which will be used as the basis for the project’s future professional development activities.
The Dissemination and Sustainability Report of the STAGE (Scientists and Public Engagement) project outlines strategies and activities designed to promote the project’s outcomes and ensure their long-term impact. The STAGE project aims to bridge the gap between scientists and the public through various engagement activities, enhancing public understanding of scientific research and its implications.
