PLAY WITH SCIENCE: A TOOL TO FIGHT THE SOCIAL EXCLUSION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNGSTERS?

Abstract

This paper presents how the “Playing with Science” workshop was used as an intervention strategy with 37 children and youngsters, between 6 and 17 years of age, from vulnerable socio-economic contexts in Oporto, Portugal, from November 2018 to June 2019. To fight against social exclusion and its reproduction, it was considered important to act in a prevention logic, designing this workshop based on different interests of the public and their needs, and outlining the following objectives: (i) encouraging genuine participation, (ii) promoting empowerment at the individual and community level and (iii) facilitating sustainable development. The work was built on the paradigm of complexity, research-action methodology and used methods of non-formal education, including sociocultural animation. The results showed that, although the objectives have not been fully developed, due to lack of time, there is a potential to use Science to contribute to the prevention of social exclusion.