SHIELD project, General info

Title: "Launching an Educational Scientific Journey on Natural Hazards and Disasters - Exploring Today's Achievements, Future Challenges & Expectations with Respect to Forecast, Prevention and Mitigation"

SHIELD is funded by the European Commission under the European Science Week 2004 initiative.

SHIELD project may be summarised as follows:

SHIELD project aims to demonstrate, particularly to high-school students, the (often not clearly visible) contribution of science and technology on the confrontation of the natural hazards and disasters that occur around the European continent. By presenting in a vivid and interactive manner the struggle between technology and natural phenomena through the eye of science SHIELD project targets to promote an increased scientific culture among young citizens of Europe and to highlight the importance of the European S&T research performed on the European Research Area. Today's achievements versus challenges of tomorrow with respect to forecast, prevention and mitigation will be disseminated through the project's activities.

To achieve the aforementioned, an Integrated Information Programme will be implemented in 4 European countries (Greece, Poland, Estonia and Turkey). The programme will be divided into 3 stages: Publicity, core and closing events. The Publicity events will precede the execution of the core events and will aim at maximizing the publicity of the forthcoming stage. The core events will be executed during the European Science Week 2004 (8-14 November 2004) and will comprise mainly of an exhibition and a workshop per country. Finally, the closing events will include the continuation of the exhibition (for an additional week) and the dissemination of the results of the Information Programme.

Awareness creation and interactivity in exhibitions will mainly be served through the tangible demonstration of related research projects funded by European Research Programmes (e.g. 5th Framework Programme, etc.). Poster presentations, micro scale simulators of natural disasters, demo versions and other exhibits will be used, whereas young scientists will interact and guide the visiting school students in the exhibition venues. Visitors will also have the opportunity to watch a video show that will be especially produced for the exhibitions. At least 8,000 high-school students of 4 European countries are expected to visit the exhibitions. A quantitative and qualitative review of project's results and specific dissemination activities to 7 discrete target groups will finally conclude SHIELD project's activities.

Project duration:

Start date: 01/01/2004   End date: 30/11/2004