There was fun, questioning and a lot of learning. The fifth edition of Ciência di Noz Manera (CNM) – “Science Our Way”, in Cape Verdean Creole – has now reached Phase II, bringing, on March 18, nearly 100 eighth-grade students from Escola Dr. Azevedo Neves, in Amadora, to the campuses of GIMM and the Champalimaud Foundation for a full day of scientific discovery.

Developed jointly by both institutions, CNM is a mentorship programme designed to bring science closer to students from TEIP schools (Territórios Educativos de Intervenção Prioritária), creating opportunities for contact with research environments that may otherwise feel distant.

After Phase I, in which scientists visited the school to introduce the programme, students were invited to experience science firsthand through a wide range of interactive activities led by around 60 volunteers from both scientific communities.

The visit to GIMM’s Oeiras site opened with a talk by Group Leader Joel Perez-Perri, who introduced students to amino acids and proteins by comparing them to building blocks, before moving into topics such as mutations, cells and gene transfer. Science and football briefly met when Lionel Messi entered the conversation.

From there, students moved into a series of hands-on activities designed by GIMM volunteers. They extracted DNA, learned how model organisms such as zebrafish and fruit flies help answer scientific questions, explored how muscles function, and discovered symbiotic relationships through fluorescent bacteria found in marine organisms.

Throughout the visit questions emerged, surprise was visible, and scientific concepts quickly became tangible through direct experimentation and dialogue with researchers.

CNM now moves into Phase III, with small-group mentoring sessions taking place at school, where students will work directly with researchers over several weeks.