How to include schools in citizen science health studies: Practical experiences and lessons learned

STEAM education is gaining increasing significance in science education and educational policies throughout Europe as it aims to equip young learners with relevant skills and knowledge to tackle global challenges effectively. But educators often encounter difficulties in engaging students, particularly in subjects like statistics, biology, and chemistry. Integrating citizen science activities into project-based learning could serve as a valuable tool in igniting students’ interest in these subjects. Such initiatives may even inspire students to pursue academic careers in these fields. But when researchers approach schools to collaboratively conduct scientific studies they face manifold challenges, like limited motivation to participate or the need for adaptation of the scientific study to school curricula. When it comes to organizing citizen science health studies in schools, the challenges become even more complex due to the importance of data protection. These obstacles and potential solutions were discussed in the ECSA 2024 workshop, where we brought together 31 researchers and practitioners from schools, science, pedagogy, and medical research in the 1,5-hour working session. We identified important issues and good practices related to the motivation of schools, the link to curricula, ethical challenges and the issue of impact assessment.