IMD in Serbia
Urban faces all around us - Children and microbes
When: 16 September 2024
Where: Novi Sad, Serbia
The Event "Urban Faces All Around Us - Children and Microbes" is an interdisciplinary research initiative designed to present the relationship between urban microorganisms, green spaces, school space, and health impacts on children in school space. By integrating environmental science, microbiology, and public health, the event aims to engage school-age children in mapping the microbial diversity within the urban environments around them, focusing specifically on the impact of green spaces on the occurrence of microorganisms. The event is directed at understanding that increased exposure to green spaces enriches the urban microbiome, potentially leading to improved children's health and well-being.
By combining microbial sampling, laboratory work, and assessment of the urban environment, the project seeks to provide participants with an insight into the existence of microorganisms around them while at school, walking through city streets, schoolyards, and parks but also develops thinking about improving public health by developing green spaces, especially in a young population. Finally, by understanding the presence of microorganisms in urban environments, it is possible to reduce the gap between the appearance of fear in our youngest citizens and the presence of microbes around them.
This initiative is a pioneering event in Serbia designed to bring environmental science together with formal education through the active involvement of elementary school students in exploring the relationship between urban areas and microbial diversity. Through practical participation, students become young scientists, investigating how their environment can affect the appearance and survival of microorganisms and, consequently, the quality of their space for play and learning. In this one-of-a-kind walk with urban microorganisms, the children participating in the project will meet the following goals:
1. To acquaint students with the basics of microbiology, urban ecology, and scientific research methodologies through interactive workshops and activities, encouraging a sense of curiosity and concern for the environment.
2. Involve students in collecting microbial samples from their school grounds and nearby green spaces during different seasons, teaching them to observe, record, and analyze environmental data to understand the dynamic relationship between biodiversity and urban greenery.
3. Involving students in the development and improvement of green spaces in their schools and other urban environments, enabling them to directly contribute to biodiversity and learn about ecosystem management.
4. Presentation of the results and public presentation of the students will enable the dissemination of information with the school community and local actors, promoting the importance of green areas in urban areas and the role of science in the community in raising environmental awareness.
The Event "Urban Faces All Around Us - Children and Microbes" aims not only to contribute to scientific knowledge but also to inspire a generation of informed, environmentally conscious students equipped with the skills to observe, analyze, and advocate for greener, healthier urban ecosystems.