We are a group of young researchers devoted to communicating science to children and teenagers. Our mission is to make STEM more accessible and entertaining by creating engaging workshops, hands-on experiments, and organizing visits to laboratories and museums.
This innovative initiative was inspired by ThinkAfrica’s 2021-2022 pilot youth mentoring program, the “Youth Educational Performance Program (YEPP),” which involved the active participation of mentors from The Science Basement. Experienced adult mentors were paired with young children of African descent, aged 9-14, living in Finland.
In the autumn of 2022, we embarked on the inaugural pilot phase of the Youth Science Club (YSC), where young minds and scientists gathered to build connections, explore their interests, and collaborate on engaging scientific experiments. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from both parents and children has been a testament to YSC’s success!
Our schedule includes one monthly meeting during which different topics are explored, ranging from cell biology to chemistry and civil engineering, to spark kids’ curiosity. We create a space where young thinkers can connect with experts and explore their love for science!
We are a team of young doctoral researchers and master’s students with diverse backgrounds and expertise. We are passionate about science communication and its importance to society. We warmly welcome interested people to join YSC, whether as Science Club Instructors or as Visiting Scientists for a one-time engagement.
Project leader
Project leader
Science club instructor
Science club instructor
Science club instructor
Science club instructor
Science club instructor
If you are passionate about designing engaging experiments or even just curious to try it out once, our young participants are always eager to engage! It is also possible to organize on-site activities, like hosting a tour of your lab, for example. You can help shape the scientists of tomorrow!
For any kind of collaboration, please do not hesitate to reach out to our project leaders Matea (matea.radesic@thesciencebasement.org or matea.radesic@helsinki.fi) and Emma (emma.pirola@thesciencebasement.org or emma.pirola@helsinki.fi).
At the moment, we are actively seeking people involved in forestry, agricultural and environmental sciences, geology and archaeology, and astronomy.