On 1 September 2024, the Centre for Social Studies (CES) at the University of Coimbra started the project ATHENE: Citizen Science as a methodology for promoting development skills in children and young people. Over three years, this action-research project will create a new pedagogical tool for use in classrooms, which will be available on a free digital platform with self-learning modules, support resources, training, and digital portfolios.

This innovative project promotes collaboration between students, teachers and researchers in the development of small research projects in schools. Students have a central role in the process and greater freedom to learn, using the principles of citizen participation in scientific research. In this way, they develop new competences while learning more autonomously.

At ATHENE, the skills, knowledge and experiences of each child and young person are very important in the teaching and learning process. Participants learn to think critically about what they learn and can even help other young people as mentors. The project also seeks to develop essential skills such as initiative, autonomy and creativity, involving students from primary to secondary and vocational education, thus showing its commitment to new ways of teaching and learning.
The tool follows the guidelines of the Profile of Students Leaving Compulsory Education (PASEO) and accompanies other initiatives for pedagogical innovation in Portugal and around the world.

Following meetings with schools, teachers and representatives of the partner municipalities, work has already begun with the classes. The activities are taking place in the Coimbra Centre School Group and the Rainha Santa Isabel School Group (Coimbra), the Gândara Mar-Tocha School Group (Cantanhede), the Mortágua School Group (Mortágua) and the Escalada School Group (Pampilhosa da Serra).

The project is coordinated by CES, in partnership with the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra, with funding from Portugal2030-CENTRO2030-Portugal. Seven organisations are social co-investors: ‘la Caixa’ Foundation/Banco BPI, Coimbra Parish Council, Cantanhede Municipality, Pampilhosa da Serra Municipality, Mortágua Municipality, Bissaya Barreto Foundation and the company Combo Ltd.

Several other organisations support ATHENE: the Directorate-General for Education, the Directorate-General for School Establishments, the National Strategy to Combat Poverty, the University of Coimbra, the Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth, the Institute for Child Support, the Youth Foundation, the CES Observatory for Education and Training Policies, the OPERAS European Research Infrastructure and the Pro-Child Collaborative Laboratory.

ATHENE is co-ordinated by researchers Cláudia Pato de Carvalho and Rita Campos. The team also includes researchers Ana Maria Seixas, Fernando Fontes, Miguel Cardina, Rosa Monteiro and Sofia Gonçalves.