Beyond the university walls. The impact on university researchers of bringing science closer to vulnerable groups

There is evidence that citizens’ access to scientific knowledge is increasingly necessary for everyone's inclusion in current society. Citizens’ science literacy has been highlighted as a crucial element in making public decisions on technology and health and building strong democracies (Solomon, 2021). At the personal level, scientific literacy has also been associated with less unwarranted beliefs, such as pseudoscientific beliefs (Fasce & Picó, 2019). In this regard, there are concerns that science education should be rethought to promote universal scientific literacy with an approach of “Science-and-Citizenship” (Solomon, 2002). School curriculums have a crucial role in it, but science literacy can also be promoted in alternative activities and contexts. In this regard, non-formal education settings, for instance in the form of educational science outreach programs, have been developed for children and youth to boost their motivation in STEM education as opportunities to advance towards the right of scientific literacy for all (Marques & Marandino, 2018).