La Maison pour la Science: a centre for science in Aquitaine

Located at the heart of the University of Bordeaux, La Maison pour la Science, a centre for science in Aquitaine, is a lever of knowledge and education, the scientific and industrial community's commitment to schools and learning institutions as well as a vector for human and cultural progress for all generations.

Photo : 'La Maison pour la Science' enables the spread of knowledge in the realm of education © Maison pour la science en Aquitaine
'La Maison pour la Science' enables the spread of knowledge in the realm of education © Maison pour la science en Aquitaine

Founded in 2014 by the University of Bordeaux and the Bordeaux public education authority, under the guidance of the La main à la pâte Foundation in association with the Académie des sciences, its mission is to bring teachers closer to contemporary science by proposing high-quality scientific and educational initiatives to maintain, revive or trigger a strong appetite for science and its transmission.

It provides training free of charge to primary and secondary school teachers. The training activities are available in various scientific fields (mathematics, physics-chemistry, life and earth sciences, technology) and are the result of close collaboration between the worlds of science and education.

Thanks to its central University of Bordeaux location, La Maison pour la Science facilitates the approach of scientific subjects by teachers and their students. Through its professional development initiative that brings nearly 1,000 teachers a year closer to interdisciplinary, living, innovative and contemporary science, teachers get a unique opportunity to be introduced to science and technology in a concrete way. Thanks to the training programmes, teachers are given the keys to work on enhancing their teaching methods for the benefit of all students, improving the overall learning environment as well as social and regional justice.

Activities with a regional scope

La Maison pour la Science shares its high-level educational expertise and its capacity for innovation in teaching and learning sciences and techniques, throughout the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region maintaining regional equity. The coverage of our regional educational authority is ensured by two satellite centres (Bergerac and Mont-de-Marsan) as well as by a network of 14 pilot schools steered by La Main à la Pâte.

By relying on privileged relationships with local scientific professionals, it encourages attractive, creative and contemporary science and technology activities in the classroom. Several arrangements that accompany teachers in their classrooms facilitate the intervention of doctoral students who assist teachers in implementing scientific method. Support is also provided to students via schools mentored by research scientists who monitor the students' science projects in coordination with their teacher. Teaching aids and resources are also made available to the schools in the network.

A programme based on living science

At the heart of global issues such as the digital revolution and the ecological transition where the questions raised by scientific progress and technological change are central, La Maison pour la Science has a role to play in initiating and training teachers and students in scientific method, to awaken curiosity, creativity and critical thinking, which are the hallmarks of a scientific mind.

Our initiatives emphasise:

  • A coherent vision of experimental and observational sciences while developing interdisciplinarity
  • The use of investigative teaching methods
  • Consistency and continuity of content and teaching between primary and secondary school
  • Closer cooperation between educational, scientific and industrial communities

 

CONTACT

  • Céline Véga-Roïatti

    celine.vega-roiatti%40u-bordeaux.fr