The Nanoyou project consortium organised an outreach cluster workshop at the EuroNanoForum on 31 May 2011 - http://www.euronanoforum2011.eu/. The aim of the workshop was to discuss the challenge of communication and outreach for education. The objective was also to present projects dealing with education and outreach linked to Nanotechnology and discuss the  prospects and needs for EU governance.

The workshop was introduces by two members of the European Commission (EC): Mr. Bonazzi, programme officer converging S&T Unit G.4, E and Mr Tokamanis,  Head of Operational Unit Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies. They highlighted the need to link the research community and the citizens and to bring answer to the society going beyond generalities but focussing on specific applications of Nanotechnology.

Five projects communicating Nanotechnology and science for education (i.e. NANOYOU, NANOCHANNELS, TIMEFORNANO, NANOTOTOUCH, NANODIALOGUE) funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission have been presented, each of them highlighting the best practices in outreach to the public (including schools, teachers and students).

For more information on these projects you can check their websites:

- NanoDialogue, a project aiming to organise a dialogue on the societal and ethical issues raised by nanotechnology, involving various stakeholders: researchers, citizens, civil society and business stakeholders to foster democratic policy decisions in this area
http://www.nanodialog.eu/

- TIME for NANO, a project using informal education products to engage the general public in debate on the risks and benefits of nanotechnology and its application
http://www.timefornano.eu/

You can also check the very creative videos that where submitted by young people who participated to the TIME for NANO video contest on YOUTUBE.
http://www.youtube.com/user/timefornano

- NANOTOTOUCH, a project bringing Science centres and museums from five different EU countries to work with university research centres in nanosciences and nanotechnology to create full-size, perfectly operational research lab in nanotechnologies inside the public space of the science centres and museums.
http://www.nanototouch.eu/

- Nanochannels, that brings media and schools in ELSA (Ethical, Legal and social aspects) debates on nanotechnology. The website will be soon available at http://www.nanochannels.eu

In the context of Nanochannels project, two mini-websites were launched by two major European newspaper this week :
El Mundo - http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/nanotecnologia.html

The Gardian - http://www.guardian.co.uk/nanotechnology-world