About NUCLIO
Who We Are
NUCLIO, founded in 2001, is a non-profit association and a Non-Governmental Organization for Development, made up of a group of scientists, researchers, teachers, and trainers, specialized in different scientific fields as well as in the areas of educational psychology and science education.
Mission
To bring innovation and inclusion into education, making it a driver of social transformation that promotes, across all parts of the world, active citizenship, literacies, critical thinking, and empathy.
Vision
An education that transforms the world into a more empathetic, innovative, inclusive, and sustainable place.
What We Do
Project development
of projects that bring inclusion and innovation into schools, through national and international partnerships.
Accredited teacher training
professional development for teachers in several areas, including:
- Active, student-centred learning approaches
- STEAM education and interdisciplinarity
- Citizen science in education
- The green transition, the digital transition, and maker spaces in schools
- Astronomy and space in education
- Leadership for school innovation
NUCLIO is an accredited teacher training provider recognised by the CCPFC – the Portuguese Scientific and Pedagogical Council for Continuing Teacher Education, offering accredited professional development to teachers across thr country.
Mentoring programmes
to support teachers and students in implementing new pedagogical practices.
Organisation of international professional development courses
in Portugal and in other countries, including support for teacher mobility.
NUCLIO coordinates the Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP), a worldwide teacher training network created during the International Year of Astronomy (2009) and maintained as a legacy of that initiative. Since 2009, GTTP has trained more than 70,000 teachers in approximately 120 countries.
trained teachers
countries
Community engagement
Community-based initiatives, including workshops, digital skills development, science outreach, observation sessions, and more.
Support for educational development
NUCLIO coordinates the Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development (PLOAD), an initiative of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which brings together partners from Portuguese-speaking countries and aims to use astronomy as a vehicle for the promotion of development.
Since 2020, the NUCLIO Tust has been promoting equality and inclusion in education, contributing to equal opportunities.
A selection of images from our activities
(Click on the images to enlarge)
A Brief Note on Our History
NUCLIO – Núcleo Interactivo de Astronomia – was founded in 2001 by a group of astronomers, astrophysicists, and amateur astronomers who shared the dream of changing the world through Astronomy. This dream led the team to carry out countless astronomy-related activities, sunch as science cafés, sky-observation sessions, school lectures, as well as research projects with students, teacher training, and more. This path naturally led us into the world of Education and helped us understand the powerful role it plays in building a shared future.
For this reason, in 2021 NUCLIO changed its name to NUCLIO – Núcleo Interativo de Astronomia e Inovação em Educação, in order to better reflect the growing importance of education in our work.
NUCLIO has been promoting teacher training in Portugal since 2001. In 2010, we established our own teacher-training centre and began offering certified professional development courses for educators in Portugal. Since then, the entire team has been united in a shared effort to do the very best for education—not only in Portugal, but in a world in which none of us sees borders.
NUCLIO’s status as a Non-Governmental Organization for Development (NGDO) has enabled it to receive support from the following institutions, through their respective support programmes for non-profit organizations:
