Scientific education and mediation programme in the context of the bicentenary of the birth of Louis Pasteur (2022) - in support of the ANR JCJC and PRC projects coordinated by the Institut Pasteur (2018-2019 editions) – PasteurEduc

In our societies, the production of knowledge, is often considered as an end in itself, but at the same time, it plays an essential role in the response of our societies to the health, economic and environmental challenges we face. The emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and the need for new antibiotics are just a few examples of the research conducted at the Institut Pasteur. Furthermore, scientific and technological developments, as well as the related political choices, can have a significant impact on the daily life of everyone. In turn, some of the impacts of science on society can generate questions, opposition and conflicts, which in turn affect research and science. Vaccination hesitancy is one example. At the same time, many stakeholders in society perceive the essential issues at stake in our research activities and wish to be associated with them. The dialogue between the research community and society therefore appears to be an essential dimension to be developed, nurtured and deepened.
These deep-seated, long-term changes have led governments to support the development of interactions between "science and society" and to make it an objective of research programming policies.
In 2022, Institut Pasteur is commemorating the 200th birthday of its founder and celebrating the "Pasteur spirit", i.e. the values that he carried, constituting today a heritage that, for over 130 years, has animated and inspired the members of the Institut Pasteur.
Within the framework of this bicentenary, and that of the global policy described above, Institut Pasteur is presenting a project within this AAP "SAPS-CSTI-Générique 18/19", and is proposing, first of all, a national programme on education and scientific mediation for a period of three years (2022-2024), intended mainly for primary and secondary school pupils and their teachers. The choice of mediation aimed at this audience has several objectives: to reach a large audience; to address an age group that sometimes lacks reference points and is vulnerable to false information; an audience that may also experience difficulties in a climate of tension such as that implied by the health crisis. The school is obviously a privileged place to accompany this young public in the construction of an enlightened thought and to welcome their questions within the framework of a constructive and serene dialogue. It is also appropriate to propose resources that are primarily aimed at primary and secondary school teachers (3rd and 4th cycles) as we can thus hope to reach a large number of pupils simultaneously and in a sustainable way.
The objective of this educational and mediation programme is to design, implement, disseminate and promote an educational device, intended for primary and secondary school pupils, devoted to some of the major scientific discoveries to which Louis Pasteur made a significant contribution and which paved the way for what are now entire sectors of research in the field of microbiology. The main themes will be: fermentations; germ theory; vaccination; immunity.
One of the principles of the project is to work on these themes by placing them in the context of the time of Louis Pasteur's work, at the end of the 19th century. Presented in this way, very important scientific concepts are approached in an interdisciplinary manner and allow for a more general reflection on the experimental scientific method, the construction of scientific knowledge and the difference between knowledge and opinion.