VILLUM FONDEN's funding for children, young people and science has one main purpose: more young people with strong science capital.
Science capital =
Science-related knowledge and skills
+ an understanding of the significance of science and technology for the development of society
+ science-positive values and attitudes
+ exposure to science at home, when together with peers and during non-school activities
Science has immense importance for our common culture, prosperity and view of the world we inhabit. The rapid advances made in science and technology pose many dilemmas concerning the societal organisation of tomorrow's world. These are what future generations must be equipped to deal with.
We are committed to promoting curiosity-driven science and technology literacy and education in children and young people, and to equipping coming generations to take a well-informed stance on the interaction between nature, technology and humans, and the accompanying societal and ethical concerns. Equally, our aim is also to encourage more of the younger generation to find their vocation in science and technology.
This requires children and young people to be familiar with science and scientific principles. To have an understanding of how science and technology contribute to advances in society. And to be curiosity-driven and experimental in their approach to science and technology challenges.
Four focus areas
EDUCATION: We wish to advance science as relevant to children and young people through empirical, real-world science education in lower and upper secondary school education.
LEISURE TIME: We wish to give children, young people and their families access to inspiring community-based science-as-recreation.
VOCATION: We wish to demonstrate the appeal of a vocation in science and technology – for girls also.
KNOWLEDGE: We attach importance to evaluation and knowledge sharing so that we may all gain further insights into how best to boost science capital among children and young people.
We only accept applications from projects based in Denmark. Please visit our Danish website for more information.
Working groups
VILLUM FONDEN and VELUX FONDEN have set up a number of working groups mainly for the purpose of contributing to the allocation activities of the foundations taking place on a professional, sound and in other respects exemplary basis. The object of the working groups is to assist the board of trustees with strategic development as well as with the handling and recommendations to decide on applications and projects within selected areas, presently the individual allocation areas as well as the asset management.
- Steen Riisgaard, MSc, CEO, Vice-chair of the board of VILLUM FONDEN
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