Pupils in Portugal and France win the Native Awards 2024

Native Scientists celebrates once again the creativity of pupils who participate in its educational programmes through the yearly Native Scientists awards. 

In 2024, almost 2,500 pupils participated in the Same Home Town (SHT) programme workshops and nearly 500 in the Same Migrant Community (SMC) programme. Each workshop begins with a simple task: draw what being a scientist means to you and write what you would do if you were one. At the end of each school year, the most original and creative entries are selected, and the entire Native Scientists team and collaborators vote for their favourites. 

This year, the Native Awards 2024 winners for the SHT programme were Lathyffa, from Castro Daire, for the best sentence, and Vera, from Machico, for the best drawing.

 Lathyffa, only 12 years old and living in Castro Daire, won the Native Award for the Best Sentence on September 24th: “If I were a scientist, I would try to find a cure for cancer or make a sponge that would wash dishes automatically.” She recalls enjoying the February workshop that focused on the brain, during which she drew some brain cells she thought resembled bacteria. Lathyffa’s mother expressed her pride in her daughter’s accomplishment, and Lathyffa herself was thrilled to receive the award. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career as an artist or a cold porcelain clay crafter.

Best Sentence in SHT

Vera, a 10-year-old pupil from Machico, won the Native Award for Best Drawing. Like Lathyffa, Vera aspires to be an artist. Reflecting on the workshop, Vera shared that she learned fascinating things about the brain and cells. Her award ceremony took place for the first time in Machico, Madeira Island, in the presence of her mother, her former teachers, her current classmates, and a scientist who returned to her old school for the event. “It was a very beautiful moment and a privilege to witness this award ceremony. Seeing the scientist return to her former school, Vera’s mother, and her elementary school teachers at her current school, along with the excitement of all her classmates, to present her with the award was truly special. Vera was overjoyed, and I imagine this will be an unforgettable moment in her life,” stated Joana Bordalo, co-founder of the Same Home Town programme.

Best Drawing in SHT

For the SMC programme, the winners were Yanis for the best sentence and Rafael for the best drawing, who attended a Portuguese workshop in Grenoble, France. Yanis Neto, an 11-year-old pupil, won with an inspiring and emotional sentence: “If I were a scientist, I would do anything to make my mother walk.” Yanis dreams of a career in computer science, driven by his love for video games and the influence of his uncle and aunt, who are both computer scientists.

Best Sentence in SMC

In the same workshop, another winner emerged: Rafael César, a Brazilian-Peruvian pupil living in Grenoble, who won the prize for Best Drawing. Meeting a scientist in person for the first time left a lasting impression on Rafael, who remarked on how approachable they were. Rafael was surprised by his win. He dreams of becoming a philosopher, using drawings to express complex ideas. He plans to “capitalise on his curiosity” and embrace his knack for asking questions.

Best Drawing in SMC

All winners received the book “Lá Fora” (Outside), along with a Native Scientists tote bag and a certificate. 

The winners who participated in the SHT workshops also received a free Ciência Viva pass, granting them access for one year to all 21 Ciência Viva centres across Portugal.  "Every year, the process of the awards gives me the pleasure to experience first-hand the creativity and imagination of the pupils of the Native Scientists Programmes. Congratulations to Vera and Lathyssa for winning the Same Home Town programme awards, and Rafal and Janis for winning the Same Migrant Community awards,” said Smaragda Papadopoulou, the Native Awards Manager.

This was a school year full of awards. We would like to thank everyone involved in the workshops, including coordinators, teachers, scientists, and especially all the children who wrote their sentences and painted their drawings. We would also like to give a special thanks to Ciência Viva for providing this award for children. The next year is just around the corner, and with it, new awards will come.

About Native Scientists 

Founded in 2013, Native Scientists is a pan-European non-profit organisation connecting underserved children and scientists. It exists to broaden children's horizons, promoting scientific literacy and reducing inequalities through science outreach educational programmes.