A look back at our Open House 2025
Yesterday, we opened the doors of our office and invited guests to this year's Open House. In addition to a short presentation on Citizen Science Zurich and exciting project pitches, the event also offered plenty of opportunity for in-depth discussions and exchanges of experiences.
Shortly after 16h, the first guests arrived at Kurvenstrasse 17. Soon after, our office space filled with people and lively conversation. A good hour later, Olivia Höhener, Managing Director of Citizen Science Zurich, opened the official program with a short introduction. As she did last year, she presented Citizen Science Zurich and our most important offerings to the audience. These included the Citizen Science Checklist, which serves as a guide for project planning and implementation; our e-learning introductory course, which is also suitable as a resource for training within Citizen Science projects; and the upcoming Citizen Science Summer School 2026 and Seed Grant Call 2026.
From fairy tales to inclusive urban living to health research
As next the project pitches of the new Seed Grant projects followed. Once a year, Citizen Science Zurich awards Seed Grants for the development and implementation of participatory Citizen Science projects. One example is the project “MAGIE. Magical Tales as Anchors for Growth in Children”, which works together with families to create new storytelling formats and modernizes fairy tales.
In two of the five newly funded projects, however, access to city life plays a central role. The project “Wir sind Wetzikon. Zusammen” (We are Wetzikon. Together) asks what is needed to create a more shared urban experience in Wetzikon. The project “Map4Rec.CH” invites refugee children to discover and map the green spaces in their city, learning about nature and the environment through Citizen Science.
The two remaining projects are in the field of health. On the one hand, the "BRIDGE-CRC" project aims to make the Lucerne colorectal cancer screening program more accessible, with local pharmacies serving as the hub. The "Meno Swiss" project is investigating how women in Switzerland recognize and respond to early symptoms of perimenopause, with the aim of improving health, awareness, and well-being in the workplace.
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Rounding off the evening
Afterwards, refreshments were served and there was plenty of time to engage in conversation and exchange ideas. Around two hours later, the last guests made their way home. What remains are fond memories of a successful evening and exciting conversations. It was great to have you all there. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Ursina Roffler