Scientist returns to school: MED researcher inspires students in Madeira

What if you could go back to the school where it all began and share your scientific knowledge with new generations? That’s exactly what Isabel Cansado, MED researcher and professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Évora, did on 4 February, when she returned to her primary school in Ponta Delgada and also to another school in the same grouping in São Vicente, Madeira.

The visit took place as part of the ‘Scientist Returns to School’ programme, a Native Scientists initiative that promotes science communication and reduces inequalities in access to science throughout Portugal. The programme takes scientists to schools where they have completed primary school to run scientific workshops with students, giving them direct contact with science and those who do it.

When Isabel Cansado heard about the programme, she saw it as an opportunity to bring scientific curiosity to students in her hometown, replicating the experience she so often sees in the laboratories of the University of Évora, where she welcomes students of all ages.

‘Going back to my primary school brought back a lot of good childhood memories. Remembering and visiting my primary school teachers was a very emotional moment,’ says Isabel. As she prepared for her participation, she recalled with emotion the importance that the Gulbenkian Travelling Library had on her education, allowing her, in times when there were no books at home, to immerse herself in the world of reading and awakening her curiosity.

During the activities, the students from both schools explored the acidity/basicity of substances, learnt about the concept of pH and carried out experiments to assess the acidity of different materials, using pH indicator paper, red cabbage tea and a portable potentiometer.

The students’ enthusiasm was notable, especially when they asked the scientist about her path. ‘They asked me if anyone can be a scientist, if scientists work hard, and when I decided to follow this path,’ says Isabel. ‘I told them that they can be anything they want, as long as they study, read a lot and have the curiosity to experiment and produce new things.’

The impact on these children was immediate, as the photographs provided by the Municipality of São Vicente prove. ‘The kids were crazy with joy. When I finished, they kept repeating that it had been the best day of their school. Many asked me to come back the next day or to come back next year,’ Isabel recalls.

This action, part of Native Scientists’ “Scientist Returns to School” programme, was funded by the American Embassy’s Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) and the Belmiro de Azevedo Foundation, and also had the support of the Municipality of São Vicente – Madeira.

The ‘Scientist Returns to School’ programme is still open to scientists who want to share their experiences and inspire new talents. More information is available at cientistaregressaescola.pt.