Outreach
We believe science should extend beyond the laboratory, be easy to understand, and accessible to everyone. Our involvement in outreach and dissemination activities aims to inspire younger generations by encouraging them to pursue a career in science and to increase public trust in research.
“This is the beauty of science: it brings the generations together, because rules don’t change as trends from one generation to another, and it is a knowledge path in which everyone can venture, as long as, obviously, the storytelling is clear and easy to understand”
Piero Angela – Iconic Italian science communicator
For Kids
INFN-kids is an outreach program of INFN aimed at children up to elementary school age and their parents. In Florence, the activities are led by the INFN LABEC group, and our group also takes part. The activities include creating short stories, videos, and comics to explain physics in a simple and effective way, participating in national science festivals, and offering guided tours of the INFN laboratories.
Group contact: Simone Valdré (simone.valdre@fi.infn.it)
Activity website (in Italian only): https://web.infn.it/infn-kids/
For High Schools
Lab2Go aims to renovate and strengthen high school laboratories. The activities range from repairing instruments and setting up new experiments to creating databases and instructional materials. All activities are carried out together with the students, demonstrating the basic principles of scientific work. In Florence, our group coordinates Lab2Go for Tuscany together with the INFN division of Pisa.
Group contact: Marco Rocchini (marco.rocchini@fi.infn.it)
Activity website (in Italian only): https://web.infn.it/lab2go/
For Everyone
ScienzEstate
ScienzEstate is a festival held annually by the University of Florence in collaboration with local research institutes. The INFN Division of Florence offers visits to its laboratories, including the LABEC Laboratory and its accelerator. As the Nuclear Physics Group, we provide visits to our labs, where visitors can see the detectors we develop and participate in interactive sessions to learn more about nuclear physics and radioactivity.
Group contact: Silvia Piantelli (silvia.piantelli@fi.infn.it)
Activity website (ScienzEstate 2025, in Italian only): https://www.openlab.unifi.it/vp-387-scienzestate-2025.html
Street Science
Street Science is a format within ScienzEstate created by our group in collaboration with other INFN Florence groups. In this activity, we perform 2–3 minute interactive shows, explaining advanced scientific topics in simple terms. Engaging the public is key. Participants choose the topics and interact with us during the shows.
Group contact: Alberto Camaiani (alberto.camaiani@fi.infn.it)