The 2024-25 GYA Sasha Kagansky Interdisciplinary Grant has been awarded to Alexia Nunez-Parra (Universidad de Chile), Nadia De León Sautú, (Institute of Scientific Research and High Technology Services, Panama), Alma Cristal Hernández Mondragón (National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico) and Lorena Michelle Coronado Vásquez (Institute of Scientific Research and High Technology Services, Panama), for their project:
Scientific Thinking in Pre-Schoolers: A Regional Challenge
Science and technology permeate almost every aspect of our lives and are required to confront and solve many pressing global and local challenges. With this increasing importance, science education becomes fundamental to future development, not only to ensure that future professionals are equipped to solve problems, but also all citizens to have basic competences in scientific thinking, as in a curiosity and sense of wonder about the world, use of reason based on evidence, flexible thinking and the willingness to continue learning.
Early Childhood offers a window of opportunity to enhance the competences (attitudes, abilities and knowledge) related to scientific thinking, as developmental milestones have long-lasting effects on brain structure. Therefore, early education becomes the most significant period to develop adequate capacities such as scientific thinking and to improve the disposition of choosing scientific careers in the future. In contrast to leading developing countries, in Latin America, little attention has been given to the development of scientific competences development in the educational system, and less to early childhood scientific education.
In this project we propose to pilot a study to quantitatively measure scientific thinking in pre-elementary children in Chile, Mexico and Panama.
Read more the project and its objectives here.
About the GYA Sasha Kagansky Interdisciplinary Grant
The GYA includes a diverse membership of scientists and scholars, in many disciplines, based in low/middle-income countries and high-income countries. This grant scheme was initiated in 2014, aiming to foster collaboration across the lines that often separate researchers and limit possibilities. Specifically, this scheme facilitates the development of small-scale, innovative, curiosity-driven, blue-sky, exploratory research pilots or prototypes that unite researchers in low and middle-income countries and high-income countries and cross disciplinary boundaries. The Sasha Kagansky Interdisciplinary Grant, awarded annually, was re-named in 2021Â in honor of late GYA member Alexander (Sasha) Kagansky.
Past GYA Interdisciplinary Grant projects
2023/24: An interdisciplinary database of ethics dumping cases
2022/23: Tracking Technology and Mealtime Conversations in Families
2021/22:Â Young Researchers and the COVID-19 Pandemic
2020/21:Â The COVID-19 pandemic and art
2019/20:Â Citizen Science for Reducing Exposure to Urban Air Pollution
2018/19:Â Can Digital Storytelling be used as a Tool for Countering Language Endangerment?
2017/18:Â Biochar for food security and sustainable ecosystem services
2016:Â Ethics in environmental decision-making: From individual acts to global outcomes
2015/16:Â Connecting epigenetics and natural resources
2014/15:Â One-dimensional molecular current wires using tailored-to-the-purpose chemistry