Lab in a Box (LiB) is a pioneering pedagogical project, developed by Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência scientists, science communicators and its partners, that arises from the belief that science can be learned on a daily basis and that, more than a school subject, is a way of thinking and existing in the world.

Designed to develop students’ fascination with their surroundings, critical thinking and scientific curiosity, it uses experimental teaching and the scientific method as a basis, and has the ambition of aiding the creation of a community of future “citizen scientists” in different Portuguese-speaking countries.

With this objective, LiB develops, produces and implements in schools an educational kit of scientific experiments – the “Lab in a Box” kit – that is portable and modular, containing simple and low-cost materials, as well as appealing experimental protocols with instructions for experiments that cover areas contemplated in present school curricula. Alongside the kit, the project provides accredited (certified) teacher training, classroom follow-up, online resources and a constant sharing of experiences through a dedicated online forum moderated by teachers and “Lab in a Box” scientists.

Crucially, “Lab in a Box”, an IGC project dating back to 2016 and initially implemented in Cape Verde, is currently supported by a set of valuable partners, notably the Municipality of Oeiras (Câmara Municipal de Oeiras), which finances the implementation of the project in schools within the municipality of Oeiras, and Merck (Merck Family Foundation), which finances LiB implementation in Cape Verde, Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Partnerships