Oeiras Experimenta and Space Messengers are two projects supported by the Municipality of Oeiras, where the participation of young science enthusiasts stands out. Oeiras Valley spoke to five of the young people taking part in the projects.
In addition to their busy student lives, five young people from the Municipality of Oeiras devote their time to two science projects – Oeiras Experimenta (Oeiras Experiments) and Space Messengers. Diogo Duarte is a data visualization engineer at Feedzai and Maria do Fundo is a student of Hotel Management at the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies. Another of the young people interviewed is Maria Matos, a student in computer engineering, finishing her Master’s thesis in the same area, focusing on accessibility. Mário Daniel Vilas is in the 2nd year of his bachelor’s degree in Energy and Environment Engineering at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and he is currently working at the Pavilhão do Conhecimento – Centro Ciência Viva (Pavilion of Knowledge). Miguel Liñan da Silva is the fifth young person interviewed and is enrolled in his 2nd year in Electronics Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico.
Find out more about the stories of these Faces of Science and their involvement with the Municipality of Oeiras.
How did you find out about Space Messengers and Carbon Tree?
Diogo Duarte: I was going to have a class at university, which I was thinking of skipping (don’t do it), where a guest, Agnes Chavez, was going to be present. During the session, she presented several of her projects, including Space Messengers, which piqued my curiosity. Given my interest and the fact that Agnes had mentioned she needed ambassadors, I decided to jokingly suggest to my colleague Maria that we apply. After a chat at the end of class and a few emails, we joined the team!
Maria do Fundo: I found out about the Carbon Tree project through Mário and Miguel at FIC.A, the International Science Festival in Oeiras, where I volunteered with both of them. They introduced me to the project they had developed at the school where we all studied in its Ciência Viva Club. It was part of the Ciência + Cidadã Program implemented by Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC), the Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology of NOVA University of Lisbon (ITQB NOVA) and the Municipality of Oeiras. It was also at this science festival that I met Maria João Leão, coordinator of the Ciência + Cidadã program, who told me about its mission and the citizen science projects that were being developed. From then on I was intrigued and interested in finding out more about the Carbon Tree program and joined the team.
Maria Matos: In college I had a lecture with the founder of STEMarts Lab, Agnes Chavez, in which she presented various projects the organization was already developing. One of the projects she introduced us to was Space Messengers. Diogo and I asked a few questions about this project at the end of the lecture and Agnes told us to contact her by email, as she would be happy to tell us more about it. After presenting the project to us, we were asked to join it as ambassadors for Portugal, since she was looking for people in our country to join the project.
Mário Daniel Vilas: My involvement with the Carbon Tree project started when I was still in high school. In 11th grade, a teacher told me about this project in class, linking two areas I’m interested in: environment and technology. It was a collaboration between two large science institutes based in Oeiras, namely the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) and the Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology of NOVA University of Lisbon (ITQB NOVA). This collaboration allowed me to have direct contact with scientists and researchers, something that had never happened to me before and which definitely encouraged me to continue my journey in science.
Miguel Liñan da Silva: The Carbon Tree Project was developed as part of the Ciência + Cidadã program implemented by the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC), the Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology of NOVA University of Lisbon (ITQB NOVA), and the Municipality of Oeiras. I found out about it when I was beginning my 11th grade, in 2020, from the teacher coordinating our school’s Ciência Viva Club, Cristina Pinho. Initially, I wasn’t sure what was in store for me when I joined the project, but today I recognize that this was the beginning of an unforgettable journey in my academic and personal future.
What can you tell us about your participation in this project(s)?
Diogo Duarte: Both Maria and I initially started working only on the virtual reality station, but now we play a broader role in planning and managing the various stations. In addition, we also teach other students how to the work.
Maria do Fundo: Since I joined the team, I’ve mostly been involved in promoting the project together with my colleagues. We publicize this project at events, namely the IGC and ITQB NOVA Open Days, the Oeiras Experimenta project’s initiatives, Nos Alive 2023, and also the European Researchers’ Night 2023 and the National Meeting of Ciência Viva School Clubs 2023, both held at the Pavilion of Knowledge.
At these events, we presented the Carbon Tree to different audiences, receiving feedback from different people from different areas. In my opinion, the most exciting and different thing is hearing opinions from people who do not have a scientific background, like myself.
Thanks to these events, we were able to establish contacts to improve the station and/or incorporate it into other projects, such as Lab in a Box (IGC), Oeiras Experimenta (Ciência+ Cidadã), among others.
Maria Matos: I’ve already participated in two festivals with this project: FIC.A 2022, in Oeiras, and this year at the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz (Austria). We trained some students from the Sebastião e Silva High School for FIC.A, to help us with cleaning and using the Virtual Reality (VR) headset in order to provide a good experience for all visitors of the festival. For the Ars Electronica Festival, some of the students who had already been trained were also present, but we also trained the rest, so that everyone was able to perform the same functions. At the festivals, after the project is presented to the participants, they are taken to the station where the VR headset is, so that they can experience the virtual world where students from different schools in different countries meet and share their experience and knowledge of what they learn about space. Apart from the festivals, I’m also responsible for helping new ambassadors to get into the world of Virtual Reality and to understand it, and for explaining to them how to use the headset and everything it entails.
At the moment, I’m not only an ambassador for the project, but also the VR coordinator. As VR coordinator, I’m responsible for setting up the Virtual Reality and Avatar Scientist stations, as well as checking that they’re working properly. This project has given me new opportunities and experiences, the chance to meet new people from different fields and with different knowledge. I’ve also had the chance to work with a fantastic team of people, from whom I’ve learned a lot about different subjects and who have challenged me to do more and better.
Mário Daniel Vilas: Initially we were a group of around 30 students from different grades and different areas. We were divided into small working groups where each group built their own air quality monitoring station from scratch. These stations had different sensors capable of measuring different pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), microparticles (MPs), among others. And so, the groups were meant to use this new tool we had at our disposal to study a pollutant of our choice somewhere in the Municipality of Oeiras.
My group and I decided to study the microparticles (or particulate matter) – PMs – that were expelled from the exhausts of combustion engine cars. After some initial research, we realized that PMs are one of the main pollutants in urban environments and the ones that have the greatest impact on people’s health. This gave rise to the idea of trying to find out whether a newer car with new technologies pollutes more or less than an older one, or whether a car that runs on gasoline releases more PMs than a diesel car. The whole process was monitored by the scientists who were involved in the project at the time: Dr. Raquel Gomes and Dr. Eugénia Fernandes, and in the end, every group presented their results to the other groups.
At a later stage, only Miguel and I decided to continue with the project, wanting to take it further. We took part in events such as NOS Alive, the Oeiras International Science Festival (FIC.A), some institute open days, among others. Meanwhile, the Ciência + Cidadã team itself changed, welcoming Dr. Maria João Leão as coordinator and Maria do Fundo. In the present stage of Carbon Tree, we want to expand our horizons by taking it to other active citizenship initiatives such as Oeiras Experimenta, Lab in a Box, and others.
Miguel Liñan da Silva: In the beginning I learned as much about electronics and programming by building the monitoring stations as I did about the scientific method behind it by studying air quality inside the classroom. It was during these initial studies that I realized there was still a lot of potential for improvement in the stations. That’s why I decided, out of simple interest and curiosity, to reprogram the existing station in order to unlock its full potential. Since then, I’ve become fascinated by the project and the way it helps the proliferation of more active citizenship through these DIY electronic stations accessible to all. After the initial phase of the project my colleagues, Maria and Mário, and I promoted the project at several events, including: the European Researchers’ Night, the IGC and ITQB NOVA open days, Earth Day at Gulbenkian; NOS alive 2022 and 2023, and the National Meeting of Ciência Viva School Clubs. At these events we made people aware of the impact air quality has on our lives and of the crucial need for a citizen science. During the events we received very positive feedback, even managing to create partnerships to incorporate some of our stations’ new adaptations into projects such as Lab in a Box and Oeiras Experimenta, leaving also some other partnership proposals still on the table.
What do you think of the investment the Municipality of Oeiras puts into science and young people?
Diogo Duarte: I’m very happy to see a municipality worrying about creating moments of learning and development for young people. Honestly, I feel envious that similar things don’t happen where I live.
Maria do Fundo: I think the Municipality of Oeiras has done a great job of investing in science and disseminating it. There have been various events and projects recently, which I think is very positive. Promoting science is an excellent way of stimulating personal development in young people through critical thinking and curiosity, preparing them for a future that is expected to be closely linked to technology and innovation and making them think consciously about issues of great importance.
When Oeiras invests in this type of initiative, it promotes science in a creative and dynamic way that makes it easier to understand for all ages and for people who are not from this area, like me. This is fundamental since science is often seen as complex and difficult to understand. Regarding investment in young people, I think the municipality does an excellent job of connecting them with science. However, I think Oeiras could do a bit more, but in other areas. One suggestion would be to do something like Faces of Science but that would address other areas and publicize young people who support causes, who have developed activities, projects, among others, such as the Carbon Tree and Space Messengers.
Maria Matos: Oeiras is the municipality I know that invests the most in science and young people. FIC.A is an excellent example as it brings projects focused on different areas of science to its visitors, and many of these projects are integrated by young people.
Mário Daniel Vilas: I think Oeiras is doing a good job in the area of science. I feel that, as well as supporting institutes and projects, it also knows how to recognize the people who make science happen. In my experience, Oeiras has also done a good job of investing in the different science clubs in the municipality’s schools. It was thanks to my school’s club that I managed to get as far as I did and I’m very grateful for that. On the other hand, I think the municipality could do more for young people, specifically those from other areas. Perhaps they could create more initiatives that would attract other areas of knowledge to Oeiras. Freedom Day, which has been celebrated in secondary schools, was a great initiative.
Miguel Liñan da Silva: I’m very pleased with the Municipality of Oeiras for its investment in science and young people. The initiatives developed, such as the scholarships for higher education, represent a strong investment in young people, along with various events that have been organized both for the general public and for the schools directly. I consider it extremely important that the municipality continues to fund and collaborate with the research institutions and universities that help develop some of these activities, in particular Ciência + Cidadã, Lab In a Box, but also many others. Thus, putting Oeiras on the map as a center of knowledge and creativity.
What academic and professional opportunities have come up as a result of participating in these projects?
Diogo Duarte: Although no opportunities have arisen as a result of this project, I feel that I have developed many skills, especially in management and working under pressure.
Maria do Fundo: Thanks to taking part in this project, I’ve have gotten plenty of opportunities and I’ve been able to attend a lot of events to present the Carbon Tree. In June and July I had the opportunity to volunteer at the IGC, where I was able to participate in taking care of the booth they were setting up at the Nos Alive 2023 festival. I helped organize visits to the Oeiras Experimenta site at Quinta Marquês do Pombal, including a visit from the Sun & Science group organized by ITQB NOVA. In addition, I also helped overseeing awareness-raising picnics on healthy and sustainable eating.
The opportunity to take part in Summer Science at ITQB NOVA was also very interesting. For a week I worked in the institution’s science image and communication office, collaborating in social media management. Finally, I’m currently doing an internship at ITQB NOVA for event organization, in their image and communication office. I’m very grateful to this project because without it I wouldn’t have had these opportunities that make me grow and learn new things every day. Thanks to it I get to create a certain connection between science and hospitality.
Maria Matos: This project gave me the opportunity to do professional work for the first time, taking part in different festivals and events. I’ve had the chance to work with people who don’t speak the same language as me or who have different backgrounds from mine, challenging me to learn more about different subjects and to work more comfortably in English.
Mário Daniel Vilas: Thanks to Carbon Tree I’ve had the opportunity to engage in numerous national and international events, which has allowed me to develop skills that will certainly be useful for both my academic future and my professional future. The 15th Mostra Nacional de Ciência (National Science Exhibition), organized by the Fundação da Juventude (Youth Foundation) and the University of Helsinki’s 2021 Teachers’ Climate Change Forum are two examples that I treasure. On November 27 and 28, we will also be presenting our project at the National Citizen Science Meeting of the Portuguese Citizen Science Network.
Miguel Liñan da Silva: My involvement with the Carbon Tree project has opened up a range of academic and professional opportunities. Firstly, it helped me discover my passion for electronics, culminating in the decision to pursue studies in electronics in higher education. In addition, being able to work side by side with researchers and experts has expanded my network, providing valuable professional connections. Many of these contacts came about at events I attended, so I would like to specifically thank Maria João Leão, coordinator of the Ciência + Cidadã program, for these opportunities. I believe that my participation in this project has proved to be an asset to my personal growth and both my technical and interpersonal learning.
What other areas would you like to see Oeiras invest in?
Diogo Duarte: I thought about something related to gaming, but when I checked, I found out that they already do invest in that, with Oeiras Gaming. I’ll be there next year!
Maria do Fundo: I live in São Marcos (Sintra), but Oeiras was and is part of my life. I studied for 8 years at Liceu de Oeiras and nowadays I still spend most of my time in Oeiras. That’s why, in my opinion, it would be interesting for this municipality to invest more in mobility, for example, a network of buses in the Municipality of Oeiras to unite the civil parishes and perhaps neighboring municipalities. This network would be beneficial not only to the population of Oeiras, but also to students or workers who work and/or study in Oeiras but live in other municipalities.
In addition, I think that Oeiras could invest more in leisure. During summer it has plenty of leisure activities such as Nos Alive, Somersby Out Jazz, among others, but during the rest of the year the municipality could create dynamic opportunities that would attract a larger target audience.
Maria Matos: I’d like to see Oeiras invest in areas such as arts and accessibility. At the ARS Electronica Festival, we saw very interesting projects that linked art and science, just as the Space Messengers project does. Through projects like these it’s possible to engage different people in different ways, and to teach science without it being “boring”.
As I have knowledge in the accessibility field and often come into contact with people with disabilities, I know about the difficulties they face on a daily basis, many of which are not well known or do not receive due attention. The world must be accessible to all and we must all contribute to this. Projects that draw attention to these problems or that are tailored for all people are important projects that should be recognized and valued.
Mário Daniel Vilas: As a student of Energy and Environment Engineering and an avid user of public transportation, I think Oeiras should invest more in the area of urban mobility. Looking at our neighboring municipalities, I don’t think Oeiras is using its full potential. By creating a collective municipal public transport service that is comfortable, safe, reliable and interconnected with neighboring municipalities, and by creating incentives such as free passes for young workers, students and residents of Oeiras, it would be possible to make a positive contribution to other areas, reducing, for example, road and environmental problems.
Miguel Liñan da Silva: At the moment, I think Oeiras is investing in the right areas in order to provide a prosperous and balanced environment for its residents. But I think it would also be very interesting to invest in small championships aimed at primary and secondary school students, where they could create projects to develop their own STEAM skills. Thus, promoting group work, critical thinking and creativity.
