'Tinkering EU3' is coordinated by NEMO Science Centre and involves five more institutions from Italy, United Kingdom, Austria, France and Poland:
The National Center of Science and Technology (NCWT) is the umbrella organisation of NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, the largest science center in the Netherlands with more than 665.000 visitors annually. The mission of NEMO is to bring science and technology closer to the public in an interactive and accessible way: in the museum, at schools at nationwide events and online.
The Science Learning Center of NEMO is a center of expertise with regard to informal science learning. This center of expertise has a lot of experience and expertise in teacher training, development of teaching materials and in developing lesson materials for schools at both primary and secondary level. NEMO has its own Teachers’ Club with over 2.000 members. The Science Learning Center has a close collaboration with the Department of Psychology of the University of Amsterdam. Together we do research on science learning in informal settings. For this purpose NEMO opened a research lab in the science center, NEMO Research & Development, where science center visitors are asked to participate in research and prototype activities. NEMO has a dedicated Maker Lab that opened in December 2013. It comprises 60 square meters, where visitors can explore together in meaningful ways that revolve around their own ideas and questions. Currently this Maker Lab is dedicated to Tinkering.
UST was founded in 1953 and is the largest science museum in Italy. In one institution, it has a collection-based museum and an interactive science centre.
It has a collection of 15.000 historical objects, the majority of which are displayed in permanent exhibitions organised in five grand themes: Communication, Materials, Energy, Transport, Leonardo da Vinci. In addition, it has 13 educational “Interactive Labs”, spaces inviting visitors to experiment with science and technology directly through experiments, interactive exhibits, and hands-on activities.
The i.labs are dedicated to topics such as robotics, biotechnologies, genetics, energy, chemistry, nutrition, etc.
In 2009, MUST launched CREI, the Centre for Research in Informal Education, as part of the Education Department which does methodological research aiming to identity and integrate innovative learning methods into the Museum’s work in order to promote STEM learning and visitors’ meaningful experience. Every year the Museum welcomes more than 400.000 visitors.
The University of Cambridge is one of the world's oldest universities and leading academic centres. It comprises 31 Colleges and over 150 departments, faculties, schools and other institutions. It excels both in teaching and research. The Faculty of Education is the oldest and one of the most prestigious Education departments in the UK. Its undergraduate and postgraduate courses have all received the highest national ratings, and its world class research focuses on school development, leadership and improvement; education in languages, arts and humanities; inequalities in education; psychology and neuroscience; history of education; language and literacy; teacher development at primary and secondary levels; educational uses of ICT; and maths and science education.
The Faculty of Education runs Bachelors level degree courses in education. It also offers Masters level initial teacher education courses (Postgraduate certificate in education) for pre-service teachers in a range of subjects, including science. In-service teacher education courses are also offered for qualified teachers at all levels, including Masters and PhD. All academics undertake evaluation and research work.
The Association ScienceCenter-Netzwerk is a non-profit association based in Vienna, Austria founded in 2005. Science engagement through hands-on and dialogue activities is at the core of its mission. The organisation initiates and manages innovative projects, using science center activities to excite and empower people from various backgrounds. A strong focus on inclusion has been established during recent years, e.g. with the pop-up mini science centers called “Knowledge°rooms”. The association initiated a nationwide consortium of organisations and persons, who as network-partners strive for the same goal: to contribute to better comprehension of sciences and technology and to societal engagement in important science topics. The network currently consists of more than 160 partners from various fields, among them research organizations, science communicators, museums, teachers and educational institutions. With a small team of ten permanent staff members, the Association implements its projects, coordinates the network, performs public relations, acts as an information hub and provides training opportunities. ScienceCenter-Netzwerk has been involved in several trans-national, European projects and is an active member of ECSITE and EUSEA. It thus also serves as a hub connecting Austrian science communicators and educators with the international community.
Traces is a think-and-do, non-profit group on science, its communication and its relationship with society. We constantly challenge self-reassuring assumptions about science in the public sphere – starting from our own – applying systematic criticism typical of scientific methods. As a platform between the academic, associative and private spheres and in collaboration with many, very diverse partners, Traces aims to create spaces in which to reflect, experiment and innovate in the fields of science in society and public communication of science.
The Copernicus Science Centre is a cultural institution established and financed by the Capital City of Warsaw, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of National Education.
Gathering experience and building its capacity since 2004 and operating in its current location since 2010, the CSC is proud to be the largest science centre in Eastern Europe and one of the largest ones if compared to establishments in Europe as a whole.
Non-formal education and scientific communication are the basic tasks of this Science Centre. It conducts modern science communication through interactive exhibitions addressed at different groups (adults, adolescents and children), shows and workshops on scientific themes, debates and discussions. The mission of the Centre is to encourage personal engagement in discovering and understanding the world, as well as taking responsibility for the changes occurring around us. In 2016 Copernicus Science Centre has been granted the status of a research entity. Scientists from the CSC conduct research in partnership with scientific institutions like e.g. University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the University of Special Education and Stanford University.
The CSC exhibition is divided into six interdisciplinary parts which feature over 450 exhibits. Here music is combined with biology, mathematics with architecture. Science enters the realm of feelings, and the visitors themselves may become their own objects of observation. The variety of exhibits gathered over several thousand square meters creates an area in which everyone can make their own discoveries. The four laboratories foster independent experimenting.