YouTube influencer “Videnskabsmaria”
Grantee: Maria Jarjis
Amount: DKK 243,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2023
Geography: Denmark
Maria Jarjis is an influencer who goes by the name “Videnskabsmaria”, and has for the last six years run the YouTube channel “WTF is that?” (“WTF er det?”). Using engaging cases, Maria Jarjis fosters an awareness through her channel for the world of sciences, and she specifically targets a youthful demographic of viewers between the ages of 14-24 years – who can be challenging to reach through more the traditional media. The YouTube channel “WTF is that?” has 63,500 followers, and altogether, Maria Jarjis’ videos have been viewed over 22 million times.
The LEO Foundation’s grant of DKK 243,000 supports the production of five videos with a focus on skin and skin diseases. In the videos, Maria Jarjis will interview researchers and other experts. The videos will be released on the YouTube channel “WTF is that?” throughout 2023 and be publicly accessible to young viewers, as well as to anyone else with an interest within the area.
Bloom Festival 2023-2025
Grantee: Svante Lindeburg, ABDC
Amount: DKK 1,650,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2022
Geography: Denmark
The Bloom Festival is celebrated annually and places a focus on acknowledging the wonders of nature and science – the festival is held each year in Søndermarken on Frederiksberg. The festival has existed since 2017, with the LEO Foundation offering funding support since 2019.
The festival is organized by ADBC, which has success in running other alike initiatives, such as the annual Golden Days festival. The annual Bloom Festival is a contribution to strengthening the landscape of STEM-initiatives in Denmark, and functions as an innovative event which aims to enlighten us on the universe, the world, and ourselves.
By uniting the best from the worlds of festivals and science, Bloom aims to tackle Life’s greatest questions through debates, talks, laboratories, conversations, and nature walks.
Astra activities 2023-2025
Grantee: Mikkel Bohm, Astra
Amount: DKK 12,000,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2022
Geography: Denmark
Astra has existed as an organization since 2015-2017 and was born out of a merger between Danish Science Factory, ‘Science Talenter’ and the publicly funded NTS-center (Det Nationale Center for Undervisning i Natur, Teknik og Sundhed). Astra defines its mission as to bring together relevant actors to progress and expand upon the quality and framing of the education of the natural sciences.
The LEO Foundation has previously supported numerous of Astra’s initiatives and activities, and with this grant, funding is dispersed between 3 of Astra’s largest programs: ‘Unge Forskere‘ (Young Scientists) an annual research-idea and talent competition for children and youths in elementary- and high -school with a passion for science and technology, ‘Big Bang‘ an annual science conference for professionals within teaching and communication of STEM and science topics, and ‘Science Talenter’ (Science Talents) which organizes science camps for the oldest pupils from elementary school as well as A-level students with a special interest in and talent for STEM-topics.
Formidling af sundhedsvidenskabelig viden på platformen lex.dk
Grantee: Lex.dk
Amount: DKK 1,000,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2022
Geography: Denmark
Lex.dk is an association formed by the Danish Universities, Gyldendal A/S, G.E.C. Gad’s Foundation and the Danish Society for Language and Literature, which was originally established around the online version of ‘Den Store Danske’, Gyldendal’s well-renowned encyclopedia. The encyclopedia focuses on nature, culture, science, and society with a national point of departure and a global outlook.
Lex.dk has become the go-to resource for dissemination of validated research information from many areas of expertise and is written by researchers and experts. The encyclopedia serves as an important source to the broader public, but rather importantly, also to pupils in elementary school and A-level students when compiling information for assignments and reports.
Lex.dk is unique in that there is no other encyclopedia source in Danish that provides a broad perspective on health and health sciences through focused articles. This grant supports updating and significantly expanding content on health and health research through collaboration with the Norwegian counterpart. This means that newly revised and well-researched information on will become available to the general Danish public online.
Unge Forskere (Young Scientists) 2022
Grantee: Mikkel Bohm, Astra
Amount: DKK 2,000,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2021
Geography: Denmark
Unge Forskere is the largest talent competition in Denmark within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Target group is students in primary school and high school.
Unge Forskere contributes to both talent development through participation in the competition and strengthens the work with innovation, idea development and the natural science method in daily teaching. Furthermore, it strengthens the natural science identity and the general science education among children and young people in Denmark.
Bloom Festival 2022
Grantee: Svante Lindeburg, Golden Days
Amount: DKK 500,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2021
Geography: Denmark
Bloom is an innovative festival about science and nature, which enlighten us on the universe, the World, and ourselves.
It takes place in the lush Søndermarken in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark, where some of the World’s greatest scientists, poets and philosophers have found inspiration through history.
In recent years, Bloom has extended to become a year-round platform for science communication, which includes, e.g., the digital magazine Bloom Explore with videos, podcasts and essays, Summer Bloom at Geopark Odsherred, Bloom School targeted at 7th – 9th grade students, and a coming book series from Gyldendal.
By uniting the best from the worlds of festivals and science, Bloom aims to take on Life’s greatest questions through debates, talks, laboratories, conversations, and nature walks.
Big Bang 2022 – Denmark’s largest natural science conference
Grantee: Mikkel Bohm, Astra
Amount: DKK 1,000,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2021
Geography: Denmark
Big Bang is Denmark’s largest conference for teachers, teacher students, didactics, and researchers involved in natural science education. The purpose of Big Bang is to strengthen participants’ network, cooperation, and knowledge sharing.
The conference is held annually and gathers more than 1,000 people for two inspiring days with relevant keynote speakers, a humming exhibition atmosphere, interactive workshops, and novel ideas for the continued renewal and improvement of the Danish natural science education.
As good teachers are essential in developing children’s interest, knowledge, and skills within the natural sciences, Big Bang may in the long run incite more youngsters to choose an education and career within this important field.
Unge Forskere (Young Scientists) 2019-2021
Grantee: Mikkel Bohm, ASTRA, Sorø
Amount: DKK 6,000,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2019
Geography: Denmark
Science is a powerful tool to understand and change the world for the better. The national Centre for Learning in Science, Technology and Health in Denmark – Astra* – wants to strengthen and develop science learning to train a new generation of young people with strong science competencies. It is important for the future of Denmark and our role in a globalized world.
One of Astra*’s activities is Unge Forskere (Young Scientists) which is Denmark’s largest talent competition for children from Danish elementary schools and high schools within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
The Unge Forskere-competition contributes to both talent development through participation in the competition, and it strengthens the work with innovation, idea development and the natural science method in daily teaching. It is a program that focuses both on the most talented young people, and generally strengthens the natural science identity and general science education among children and young people in Denmark.
Bloom Festival 2020-2021
Grantee: Svante Lindeburg, Golden Days
Amount: DKK 1,000,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2019
Geography: Denmark
Bloom – at the core:
Bloom is an innovative festival about science and nature, which enlighten us on the Universe, the World and Ourselves. Framed in the lush Søndermarken at Frederiksberg in the heart of the capital city of Denmark, where some of the World’s greatest scientists, poets and philosophers have found inspiration through history, Bloom emerges each Spring as a sensual, experimental and thought-provoking festival version of natural sciences.
By uniting the best from the world of festivals with the best from the scientific world, Bloom arm wrestles with Life’s greatest questions and over two days invite the audience to debates, talks, laboratories, conversations and nature walks under open skies.
Big Bang 2020-2021 – support for Denmark’s largest science conference
Grantee: Mikkel Bohm, Astra*, the national Centre for Learning in Science, Technology and Health in Denmark
Amount: DKK 2,000,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2019
Geography: Denmark
Denmark’s largest science conference, the Big Bang Conference, has received DKK 2,000,000 for the period 2020-2021 from the LEO Foundation.
Big Bang is the largest Danish science conference and exhibition targeted all who teaches, facilitates or researches in the science and science fields – in primary and secondary schools and higher education.
The conference, held once a year, gathers more than 1,000 people for two involving and inspiring days with relevant keynote speakers, a humming exhibition atmosphere, involving workshops and novel ideas for the continued renewal of science education.