When: September 7–11, 2026
Where: Smolenice SAS Conference Centre, Zámocká 18, 919 04 Smolenice, Slovakia

The Citizen Science Summer School will take place from September 7 to 11, 2026, at Smolenice Castle in Slovakia. The event is jointly organised by the Centre of Scientific and Technical Information of the Slovak Republic (CVTI SR), the Central Library of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Geonics of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

The Summer School aims to build participants’ skills in citizen science and participatory research methods while creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and networking within the Czech and Slovak citizen science communities. It is intended for students, researchers, educators, librarians, staff of cultural heritage institutions such as museums and galleries, representatives of non-profit organisations, and anyone interested in engaging the public in research.

The programme will feature lectures introducing different approaches to citizen science, presentations of citizen science projects from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and a range of practical activities. Participants will have the opportunity to explore citizen science tools and applications, take part in a field excursion such as bioblitz, and develop their own model citizen science project with feedback from experienced practitioners.

The participation fee is EUR 150 and includes accommodation and meals. Registration is open until June 30, 2026.

More information and the registration form are available here (Slovak only). You can also find information in Czech here.

Citizen Science

Citizen Science is an approach to scientific research that actively involves members of the public in the scientific process. This participation can take place at various levels – from data collection to data processing and analysis, or even the creation of research outputs. Citizen science opens new possibilities for scientific work, enabling research that would be too demanding or impossible without public involvement. At the same time, it offers the public the opportunity to take part in research, contributing to the advancement of knowledge and fostering stronger connections between researchers and society.

In the Czech Republic, the platform https://www.citizenscience.cz/ provides information about ongoing projects, opportunities for participation, educational resources, and news. Many Citizen Science projects are also conducted at institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, with details about these projects and participation opportunities available on the CAS website.

Last updated on June 25, 2026