Science immersion for the next generation of researchers
Youth and Science (Joves i Ciència) is an educational programme organised by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera that offers talented high school students a three-year immersion in the world of scientific research. Each year, participants take part in successive phases designed to deepen their understanding of how science is done in practice.
ICN2 contributes to the programme in two of its three phases. Researchers lead sessions during the first stage, which takes place at a nature centre and introduces students to topics on nanoscience and sustainability. The second stage happens at the institute, offering a two-week hands-on experience with one of our research groups. The third phase takes students to an international research centre.
ICN2 has been part of the Youth and Science programme for several editions, contributing both through research content and by opening its laboratories to students at a formative stage in their scientific development. The researchers involved bring their own work directly into the programme, connecting real frontier science with the curiosity of young people who are considering a future in research.
For many participants, the two weeks at ICN2 represent their first sustained contact with a professional research environment, a concrete experience of what a scientific career can look like.
