Since 2023, he has traveled nearly 25,000 kilometers, visited 223 schools in 155 towns across Sardinia, and engaged more than 12,000 children aged 4 to 7. But the real story behind these numbers lies in the wonder on children’s faces, the spontaneous questions sparked by an experiment, and the joy of discovery.
This is the spirit of “The Classroom Scientist”, the science outreach initiative created and led by Andrea Mameli, science communicator at CRS4, known affectionately by young students with that very nickname.
Armed with simple materials and brilliant ideas, Andrea Mameli has turned each visit into a hands-on science adventure: building bionic hands with cardboard and string, exploring geometry with spaghetti and marshmallows, creating sound with cup-and-string telephones, testing floating objects, and constructing stable towers using recycled items. These activities are designed not only to introduce scientific concepts, but also to nurture observation skills, manual dexterity, and creative thinking.
Behind every school visit lies meaningful collaboration with teachers and school principals — over 600 in total — who welcomed the initiative with enthusiasm. For many children, it was their first encounter with science as something they could touch, question, and enjoy.
Promoted and supported by CRS4, the initiative shows how vital it is to invest in early science education. And it proves that science can be accessible, exciting, and within everyone’s reach — especially when told the right way. For thousands of young students in Sardinia, Andrea Mameli has been exactly that: their classroom scientist.
