SCOPE – Science Connecting People (Znanost spaja ljude)

Garešnica, 12 June 2025

SCOPE – Science Connecting People is an international conference on science outreach and science communication whose first edition was held on 26 and 27 September 2024 in Zagreb. Over those two days and at two venues (26 September – Europe House, 27 September – Nikola Tesla Technical Museum), some twenty speakers, lecturers and panellists took part, along with more than eighty conference participants.

This year the conference will be held in Garešnica (NATURA 2000 Visitor Centre) on 12 June and, as in 2024, it will be organised within the Thematic Systemic Supportproject forthe area  “STEM as a driver of development” which the FabLab association runs with financial support from the National Foundation for Civil Society Development. The themes the conference consistently promotes are: people, tools, activities/events and spaces. 

The conference is co-organised by the North Moslavina Tourist Board, the Natura 2000 Visitor Centre and the City of Garešnica.

The core aim of the “Science Connecting People 2025” conference is to strengthen local ecosystems; to bring together different stakeholders who share their own experience and contribute their ideas to the ultimate goal of building and strengthening local ecosystems; to help civil society play an important role in the development of society; to create valuable networks among stakeholders; and to learn from one another. 

In that spirit, this year the main theme is education, given that schools are an important stakeholder in creating a local ecosystem. The emphasis will be on education professionals from Bjelovar-Bilogora County – that is, on empowering the facilitators of the learning process (teachers), who are the main link to children and their ideas. This part will present international examples as inspiration for teachers. 

Besides teachers, additional emphasis will be placed on the importance of children as a source of ideas – children who generate ideas without rational constraints, and who, once grown up, go on to work and become innovators and drivers of change. Teachers are the facilitators who recognise such children and future innovators and creators. 

At the same time, teachers are a source of knowledge: children learn through their teachers – which is why we need to raise awareness among teachers and support them in that process, so that no child who could become a future innovator slips past them.

Conference programme, 12 June 2025:

From 10:00 to 12:30: 

1. Keynote speaker – Roberto Vdović: Why STEAM as a driver of development, or what drives community development 
2. Adam Maltese: Innovation in education (recorded lecture and an invitation to the workshop – September 2025) 
3. Martina Agatić: STEAM Brace – encouraging innovative approaches to education
4. Roberto Vdović: Designing the Future Academy
5. Dialogue/discussion – Innovation in Education vs Education for Innovation 

Lunch and networking break, 12:30 to 13:30

From 13:30 to 16:00: 

1. Annalise Phillis: KID Museum – fostering a maker mindset in children and young people, and in the next generations who have the skills needed to create the future
2. Morana Pap: Design Thinking on the role of facilitators in developing local ecosystems for STEM as a driver of development
3. Promoting STEAM through construction 
4. Presentation of events 
5. Presentation of possible hosts for future conferences 

Conference registration link:

https://shorturl.at/m8h2u

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Conference co-organisers:

NATURA 2000 Visitor Centre