Goma: An Active Program That Aims to Empower Students in Rural Areas Through Education and Science

Abstract

In the heart of Northern Portugal, Armamar is an attractive rural territory with an ageing population and low population density (5680 inhabitants and a population density of 48/km², contrasting with 197/km 2 of its district capital, Viseu). Considering urban centers, this region has a thin institutional layer, a weak network of local actors (schools, civil society, local governments) collaborating with academia, and a peripheral economic and geographical position. Due to this dissonance, limited access to science and innovative educational offers resulted, leading to the creation of accentuated barriers, social inequalities and stereotypes, as well as low school performances and overall reduced involvement in active citizenship initiatives.In response, GOMA (Gomes Teixeira Science Academy) was formed in 2022 by the public school (Agrupamento Escolas Gomes Teixeira), Armamar Municipality and the University of Porto. GOMA's formal and non-formal approaches are designed to develop and implement a transdisciplinary education strategy that emphasizes student empowerment and their active-and centered-learning. A key intention is to position the school as an active democratisation hub in this region, addressing locally relevant challenges. Fourteen science-based activities were carried out in 2021/2022. In total, these activities involved over five hundred children (from kindergarten to high school), fourteen teachers and four scientists, in addition to five local or national partners. One of these activities included a two-day workshop -"The science of science communication"-, aimed to bring communication into students' curriculum by improving their oral, written, and designing skills. Additionally, this workshop encouraged students to collaborate, enhance and stimulate discussion, and value each other's opinions and views in a spirit of sharing and cooperation. Participants included fifty-three high school students (from the Natural Sciences and the Social Sciences and Humanities), along with three teachers and one scientist.According to the assessment results, the program had an exceptionally positive impact on students, boosting their capability to incorporate new and relevant communication skills into meaningful core elements; enhancing their curiosity, critical and creative thinking, teamwork and time management; improving awareness of its individual role in contemporary societies; and helping to strengthen their trust in science.This paper aims to present GOMA, a means of fostering science, technology, innovation in rural territories, and a bridge connecting Armamar's school community to its civil society, academia and science. Moreover, it intends to present the "Science of Science Communication" workshop as a tool for active citizenship and citizen empowerment.