The Same Home Town programme won a prestigious grant to promote social innovation in Portugal.

In the end of 2024, Native Scientists secured governmental funding from the Portugal Inovação Social.

The Same Home Town (SHT) programme, which bridges the gap between the scientific community and the educational sector in Portugal, has successfully got the support of the Portugal Social Innovation initiative to be implemented in priority schools in the North region of Portugal. Thanks to this funding, the SHT innovative approach to fostering education, will be able to implement workshops in all TEIP (Territorios Escolares de Intervenção Prioritária) in the North region of the country, reaching over 5.400 children in schools situated in Priority Educational Intervention Zones. The grant will support SHT implementation in these schools for the next three years.

Portugal Social Innovation is a government initiative mobilising around €150 million from the European Social Fund as part of the Portugal 2030 Partnership Agreement. Artur Santos Silva (BPI/Fundação “la Caixa”), one of the social investors on this project, has said, “Native Scientists allow children not only to get closer to science, enhancing their skills, curiosity and broadening their horizons, but also to interact with scientists with a shared background that are willing to give back and serve as a role model for children”.  

The first workshop supported by this grant took place in Mogadouro on the 17th of January. Biologist Irene Marques, from University of Coimbra, returned to her primary school EB1 de Mogadouro to explain to over 45 children the beauty of the microscopic world that surrounds us. The children learned about soil health and the importance of biodiversity through an interactive quiz, DNA extraction from strawberries, and an activity that simulates the identification of microorganisms in soil samples.  

“This funding is a recognition of the impact of our work and an excellent opportunity to broaden it. With the Portugal Social Innovation initiative, we will reach underserved schools and communities, bringing science and inspiration to places with less access. In three years, many more children will believe they can reach their full potential, no matter where they are from.” said Beatriz Amado, Consolidation and Development Lead at Native Scientists.

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.

About Portugal Inovação Social

Portugal Social Innovation is a government initiative aimed at promoting social innovation and stimulating the social investment market in Portugal. This initiative is the first of its kind in Europe, given that Portugal is the only Member State to set aside EU funds until 2020 to use new financing instruments to foster innovation and social investment. Implementation of the Portugal Social Innovation initiative is coordinated by the Portugal Social Innovation Mission Unit.