Citizen Science project founder, UC alumna integrates "Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise"
Mariana Alves is included as a Social Innovator with significant impact
The citizen science project "Letters with Science" (Cartas com Ciência), reported here last November, has nominated its creator, the alumna of UC Mariana Alves, as a Social Innovator in the "Top 100 Women in Social Entreprise" ranking. The list, produced by Euclid Network, highlights 100 women with a significant impact on social entrepreneurship in Europe.
The initiative highlights the 100 women without ranking them in a particular order, celebrating them in the sector of social entrepreneurship and focusing on their impact journeys and achievements. The names were released on the last International Women's Day, March 8, 2021 and the list includes two categories, Social Innovators and Social Entrepreneurs.
The category of Social Innovators celebrates public and private entrepreneurs, leaders of intermediaries such as social incubators and national networks of social and academic enterprises, working at the regional, national, supranational or international level. Social innovators must have demonstrated a significant impact in the last year, with an explicit mission to solve a social or environmental challenge, and with a resilient, realistic and impact-oriented business model.
The other category, Social Entrepreneurs, include founders or managers of social projects - whether for-profit, non-profit or hybrid - whose work has shown great social and/or environmental impact in the last year.
Mariana's project "Cartas com Ciência" (Letters with Science) is open for enrollment by scientists in the 2021-2022 academic year. The initiative - founded by Mariana and Rafael Galupa, both currently researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory - consists of a model based on four pillars: Science, Education, Language and Society. It provides training and experience in scholarly communication for researchers; promotes scientific and linguistic literacy in Portuguese-speaking countries; puts forward Portuguese as a language of knowledge and opportunities; and contributes for the breaking of stereotypes related to science and scientists. Coimbra University is also a stakeholder in the project.
The program envisions a world with equal opportunities for all children, having the mission of inspiring them to consider higher education and scientific careers.
In addition to the founder of Letters with Science (Cartas com Ciência), six other Portuguese women were included in the list of the Euclid Network. Mariana's mentor and co-founder of Native Scientist (mother-project of Letters with Science), was nominated for her Chaperone project, focused on career development for scientists. The Native Scientist project, as well as partnerships, are also mentioned in Mariana's nomination.
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Explore the list of 100 women from EN.
The network will publish interviews with each of the nominees, on its website and in its newsletter.