YouCount: Save the dates for Final Conference 4-5 December 2023

Youth Citizen Social Science contributing to social inclusion How can we shape an inclusive society for young people at risk of exclusion in Europe? What role can Citizen Science play in this endeavour? The Horizon 2020 research and innovation project YouCount explored these questions through co-creative research with youth and local stakeholders in nine countries across ten cases. After two years of hands-on Youth Citizen Social Science work, YouCount will share experiences and look ahead to discuss findings and potential impacts on EU policies and beyond. Program: The first day includes a seminar focusing on hands-on Youth Citizen Social Science and a welcome reception. The final conference takes place on the second day where we will discuss implications of key findings with stakeholders and policymakers. On both days, the voices of our young co-researchers will be amplified during presentations, interactive sessions, round table discussions and an exhibition. The event will be free of charge and partly hybrid. Event location: DECEMBER 4, 2023 | 14.00-17.00 & 18.00-20.30 | Nordic House, Rue du Luxembourg 3/5 DECEMBER 5, 2023 | 09.00-17.00 | Hotel NH Brussels EU Berlaymont, Bd Charlemagne 11/19 - tagg "YouCount"

Stories from the YouCount Youth - On new perspectives, being heard more deeply and belonging.

YouCount is working to co-create new knowledge and innovations to increase youth social inclusion. Since 2020, 100s of young people from local communities and 30 students from universities have worked with researchers on 10 research questions in 9 different countries. This webinar is a unique opportunity for you to learn about the YouCount project. 16 of these young people co-created this webinar and some of them will share their stories from the YouCount project. This includes lessons learned and what you should consider for future work with youth like them. Join us to learn about their important work, their results, and their valuable perspectives on engaging youth in citizen social science.

REINFORCE International Youth Art & Science Contest

The REINFORCE International Youth Art & Science Contest focuses on the concepts of fundamental physics, such as space, time and the nature and structure of the Universe. We are seeking artwork from kids aged 4-18 and all contestants have until 15 September, 2022 to submit their work. The winning entries will be presented during the 2022 European Researchers'Nights events at the European Gravitational Observatory and the finalists will be given the opportunity to participate in a virtual tour of the Observatory and the VIRGO detector (https://www.ego-gw.it). Those able to visit the site for the occasion will have the chance to undertake the tour in person! All participants will receive a REINFORCE Youth Artist Certificate and the artwork from the winners and finalists (a minimum of 3) will be published on the Platform for Artistic Intervention created on the Project website! Contest rules and further info available here: https://www.reinforceeu.eu/platform-for-artistic-intervention

Online Course on Management of Biosphere Reserves and other designated areas

If you are a post graduate student, young scientist, member of a MAB Youth Group, educator or manager working on Biosphere Reserves and other designated areas, then, this online course is for you! The course is the virtual part of the 2021 Asterousia Hybrid University on Management of Biosphere Reserves and other designated areas, and will run from 10 January to 6 February 2022. The course in a nutshell : DURATION: Four weeks, starting from 10 January to 6 February 2022. FORMAT: It combines asynchronous (self-paced) and synchronous sessions (weekly live meetings). COMMITTMENT: The total training time for learners is approx. 20 hours (~5 hours/week). PARTICIPANTS: MAB Youth Group members, Post-Graduate Students, Young Scientists, Educators and Managers of Biosphere Reserves and other designated areas, with a priority to be given to applicants from European and Mediterranean countries. LANGUAGE: English. CERTIFICATION: Learners who succesfully complete 80% of the course assignments will get the course's certificate co-signed by the UNESCO Regional Office for Science and Culture in Europe and the UNESCO Chair & Network on Sustainable Development Management and Education in the Mediterranean. COST: Thanks to the kind contribution of the organizers this course will be free of charge for all participants! ORGANISERS: MIO-ECSDE and the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (Venice Office) REGISTRATIONS: https://www.eventora.com/en/Events/2021_Asterousia_hybrid_university MORE INFORMATION: https://medies.net/2021-asterousia-hybrid-university-phase-b-online-course

YouCount webinar: Transformative & Innovative Impact

Young people in Europe are facing many challenges with regard to social inclusion (e.g. social participation, employment, social belonging). There is a pressing need to develop more knowledge and innovation to create more inclusive and youth-friendly societies. One way to contribute to this is through Citizen Social Science with young people - Youth Citizen Social Science (Y-CSS). The YouCount project has organised a series of three webinars to discuss central questions of Y-CSS and to create a network of interested people. The third and last webinar "Transformative & Innovative Impact" will take place on the 4th of November. These webinars are for practitioners of Citizen Science, Community-based Research and youth engagement, but people without prior experience are also very welcome. These are exciting conversations, and YouCount is working hard to make them happen in inclusive and equitable ways.

Methodologies & Evaluation: Setting up Youth Citizen Social Science

Young people in Europe are facing many challenges with regard to social inclusion (e.g. social participation, employment, social belonging). There is a pressing need to develop more knowledge and innovation to create more inclusive and youth-friendly societies. One way to contribute to this is through Citizen Social Science with young people - Youth Citizen Social Science (Y-CSS). This webinar offers an opportunity for exchange on doing Y-CSS in practice and it seeks to mobilise your expertise and feedback for the YouCount project. Members of the project are developing a framework for setting up case studies in several countries. The challenge is to translate the many ideas surrounding youth citizen social science into practical research and innovations. They will present their concepts and seek your feedback and discussion on how local case studies and integrating frameworks can be designed. Claire Murray (ECSA) will get us started with essential points for practically preparing for youth participation. To illustrate an ambitious ways of how this can be done in a European project, Julie Ridley (UCLan) will give us an overview on the multiple case study approach that is used in YouCount. Then there will be a series of in-depth discussions on key aspects of setting up Y-CSS projects in practice.

How to open up research & innovation to young people?

Young people in Europe are facing many challenges with regard to social inclusion. Social participation, employment, social belonging are important examples. There is a pressing need to develop more knowledge and innovation to create more inclusive and youth-friendly societies. One way to contribute to this is Citizen Social Science with young people - Youth Citizen Social Science (Y-CSS). We organise a series of three webinars to discuss central questions of Y-CSS and to create a network of interested people. The webinars are for practitioners of Citizen Science, Community-based Research and youth engagement. We would be happy to learn from your experience and the questions you bring. We would be particularly grateful for young researchers and youth organisations to take part. We want to learn from their work and perspectives. People without prior experience are of course also very welcome. These are exciting conversations and we are working hard to make them happen in inclusive and equitable ways. Participation in the webinars is open to everybody and free of charge.

ECSA & EU-Citizen.Science webinar: Introducing new citizen science projects launching in 2021

Our webinar on the 26th May 2021 (14.00-15.30 CEST) will highlight new citizen science projects starting in 2021, with short talks from three early career researchers: – Famke Mölenberg (she/her/hers) (Erasmus MC, Netherlands) is an epidemiologist working on SEEDS, which aims to engage teenagers from Spain, the Netherlands, Greece and the United Kingdom in their health education and science literacy by directly empowering through citizen science. She tweets as @FamkeMolenberg. – Dr Cristina Zaga (she/her/hers) (University of Twente, Netherlands) is assistant professor in human-centred design working on Incentive, which links project partners and citizen science to co-create sustainable transdisciplinary hubs for stimulating and supporting excellent citizen science and responsible research and innovation (RRI). She tweets as @Zaga_daga. – Isabelle Freiling (she/her/hers) (University of Vienna, Austria) is a communication scientist working in the YouCount project, which aims to identify positive drivers for social inclusion of youth at risk of exclusion, and cocreate innovations and policymaking using cocreative youth citizen social science. She tweets as @isa_freiling. The webinar will finish with a Q&A and discussion. The event will be in English with a live transcript and you can register for free via the website.