Bringing Science out of the Lab into the Classroom (Forwarded)

ESO Education and Public Relations Dept.

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Contact:
Dr. Eleanor Hayes
Editor of Science in School
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Phone: +49 6221 387 8699
www.scienceinschool.org

ESO EIROforum Release 12/06

Under Embargo till 28 March, 2006, 12:30 CET

Bringing Science out of the Lab into the Classroom

Europe's first international, multidisciplinary journal for science
teaching launched today

Science is moving more rapidly than ever; one groundbreaking
discovery chases the next at an incredible speed. School teachers
have trouble keeping up with the pace, and many pupils call
science classes "boring". Today, Europe's major research
organisations launch Science in School, the first international,
multidisciplinary journal for innovative science teaching, to
provide a platform for communication between science teachers,
practising scientists and other stakeholders in science education.

"Science is becoming increasingly international and
interdisciplinary," says Eleanor Hayes, editor of the journal.
"The most exciting development of the day may happen anywhere in
any field: students may suddenly want to talk about a discovery
on Mars, a medical breakthrough or a natural disaster. On such
days it would be a shame not to put the textbooks aside and to
capitalise on that curiosity."

Published by EIROforum, a partnership between Europe's seven largest
intergovernmental research organisations, Science in School will
bridge the gap between the worlds of research and schools. One
extremely powerful tool to achieve this is the journal's web-based
discussion forum that will establish a direct dialogue between
science teachers and researchers across national and subject
boundaries.

Science in School will appear quarterly online and in print and
will feature news about the latest scientific discoveries, teaching
materials, interviews with inspiring teachers and scientists,
reviews of books, films and websites, suggestions for class trips,
training opportunities and many other useful resources for science
teachers. Contributors to the first issue include the world-renowned
neurologist and author Oliver Sachs, and scientists and teachers
from nine countries.

"We urgently need to engage young people in science. This is why
the research community and the European Commission are committed
to outreach and education activities," says Bill Stirling, Director
General of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF),
representing EIROforum at the launch event. "Scientists across
Europe, including those in EIROforum labs, are continually making
discoveries that they would be willing and able to explain to young
people, but there's no central mechanism to help do so -- we think
that this new journal can help fulfil that function."

"Motivating more young people to take an interest in understanding
and learning science at school is important not only because
science careers are exciting and rewarding, but also because young
people need to know about how science and technology is changing
our world -- their world!," says Stephen Parker, Head of Education
and Science of the European Commission. "Science in School is just
one of the initiatives being supported by the Commission to take
this forward."

EIROforum sustains many other education activities including the
Science on Stage festival, a sort of European teaching Olympics
where teachers present their most inventive methods. The best
projects from last year's Science on Stage festival will be
featured in Science in School.

Notes

EIROforum is a collaboration between seven European intergovernmental
scientific research organizations. As world leaders within their
respective fields, the EIROforum member organizations constitute
the vanguard of European science, enabling European scientists to
engage in truly cutting-edge research and be competitive on a global
scale. These organizations have a vital role to play in the future
of European research. EIROforum is composed of the European
Organisation for Nuclear Research, CERN; the European Fusion
Development Agreement, EFDA, the European Molecular Biology
Laboratory, EMBL, the European Space Agency, ESA, the European
Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere,
ESO, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, ESRF, and the
Institut Laue-Langevin, ILL. For more information about EIROforum,
visit
http://www.eiroforum.org

Science in School is supported by the European Commission's Science
and Society Programme in the framework of the NUCLEUS project.

National contacts for the media:

Belgium: Dr. Rodrigo Alvarez, +32-2-474 70 50
Finland: Ms. Riitta Tirronen, +358 9 7748 8369
Denmark: Dr. Michael Linden-Vørnle, +45-33-18 19 97
France: Dr. Daniel Kunth, +33-1-44 32 80 85
Germany: Dr. Jakob Staude, +49-6221-528229
Italy: Dr. Leopoldo Benacchio, benacchio @ inaf.it
The Netherlands: Ms. Marieke Baan, +31-20-525 74 80
Portugal: Prof. Teresa Lago, +351-22-089 833
Sweden: Dr. Jesper Sollerman, +46-8-55 37 85 54
Switzerland: Dr. Martin Steinacher, +41-31-324 23 82
United Kingdom: Mr. Peter Barratt, +44-1793-44 20 25

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