Educational outreach activities are one of the many tools we use at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to disseminate our scientific knowledge, primarily at regional level.
We collaborate with key partners to maximise outreach and positively engage local networks, authorities and communities.
The JRC provides vital scientific support to European Commission Services and EU initiatives - through our outreach we aim to engage young people and the wider public in the EU by illustrating the importance of science-informed policymaking.
Partners and friends
When defining our initiatives, we normally operate through key partners such as:
- European Commission Representation in Italy and Europe Direct Information Centres
- European Parliament Ambassador Schools Programme
- Italian Ministry of Education regional offices
- Green School programme
- Milano Innovation District (MIND)
- European School Varese (ESVA)
- Confindustria Education
Onsite initiatives
The JRC can provide learning opportunities to young people, especially students aged 17 and older, by showcasing our facilities and laboratories, and through the recently opened Europa Science Experience.
Initiatives are developed in collaboration with our partners and friends, and also in response to their requests.
For 2024-25, the Outreach and Events Team has developed initiatives based on previous years' experience. In a pilot phase, we organised 3 'Schools Days' with some of our key partners. They were designed around important topics such as climate change, new technologies for the planet and the safety and security of citizens, and artificial intelligence. We aim to continue this approach and increasingly involve our partners in co-designing these kind of events.
For the European School in Varese, a specific list of potential activities involving students and school staff for the academic year 2024-25 will be published soon.
Digital resources
In addition to onsite initiatives, the JRC has developed several resources, equivalent to onsite visit activities, that can be used for classroom teaching or further study.
Online courses
The online courses were originally created and designed in collaboration with teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The courses focus on different aspects of biodiversity (alien invasive species and soil) and energy (energy efficiency and renewables). They are available in seven EU languages (English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch and Portugeuse) on the EU Academy platform. To visit our courses on the platform, please explore the area Energy, Climate change and Environment.
Digital seminars
Digital seminars were created during the pandemic period and were later standardised under a common framework, leading to the creation of 'digital seminar cycles' in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Seminars 2022-23
The seminars encompassed several topics related to JRC research, notably energy, nuclear and nuclear decommissioning, space, disaster risks, biodiversity, food and health.
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Seminars 2023-24
The seminars tackled 3 important topics addressed by JRC researchers: planet, safety and society. Eight interactive meetings 'Let’s talk about …' discussed the work our scientists carry out to support EU policies related to scientific topics.
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Finally, engaging materials are available in the Digital Media Hub the JRC repository from which you can also access virtual tours of some of our laboratories and interactive games developed by our researchers to explore scientific topics we work on at the JRC.
More information
For support to use the digital materials or to learn more about JRC educational activities, please email us: JRC-SCHOOLS@ec.europa.eu