Feature
Growing More Than Beans: How a Portuguese Neighbourhood Centre Cultivates Science, Community and Opportunity
At the Neighbourhood Social Centre of Bairro in Portugal, education does not stop at the classroom door. It grows in gardens, flourishes through community and takes root in the hands of children.
Serving children and young people aged 6 to 12, the centre is a vital hub for the local community. Its mission is clear: to meet the needs and expectations of families through high-quality education, training and social support, while contributing to a more inclusive and open society. Through a mix of socio-cultural enrichment activities, schoolwork guidance and close collaboration with families and schools, the centre supports the holistic development of every child it serves.
But in recent years, one activity in particular has stood out for its impact: participation in the INCREASE Citizen Science Experiment.
From the very beginning, the children of the centre have been enthusiastic contributors to the project. Rather than taking on a passive role, they were involved in the entire lifecycle of bean cultivation: planting, caring, observing, harvesting and ultimate cooking with their yield. This hands-on engagement transformed a scientific experiment into a living learning experience.
To highlight just one of their growing seasons: over the course of four months in 2022, their dedication bore fruit quite literally. The children successfully harvested an impressive 20 kilograms of beans, the result of consistent care, teamwork and curiosity.
Yet the true harvest went far beyond quantity.
Through their participation, the children developed a deeper understanding of biodiversity, agriculture and sustainability. They learned patience and responsibility, observed the rhythms of nature, and contributed to a wider European research initiative. Science became tangible, something they could touch, nurture and take pride in.
The project also strengthened the centre’s broader mission. Activities like these help bridge connections between families, schools and the wider community, making full use of local resources while fostering a shared sense of purpose. The excitement generated by the experiment extended beyond the garden beds, with regular updates and moments of pride shared through the INCREASE initiative’s online community.
At its heart, the Neighbourhood Social Centre of Bairro demonstrates what is possible when education is approached holistically, when learning is not confined to textbooks, but embedded in real-world experiences that inspire and empower.
In Bairro, growing beans has become a way of growing confidence, knowledge and community.
While this is a wonderful example of the engagement of schools and children in the work of INCREASE, the project extents its heartfelt thanks to all the more than 200 schools across Europe that have participated in the Citizen Science Experiment with dedication and commitment.
Impressions from the Citizen Science Experiment in Portugal
Sign explaining the INCREASE Citizen Science Experiment /© all images by Centro Social de Bairro, Portugal
Students sowing beans
Students sowing beans
Bean seedlings
The beans are thriving
A student using the colour card to characterise the bean flowers for the experiment
Observing the bean plant development
Bean pollinator visiting
Harvesting the beans
Bean harvest
Shelling the beans
Shelling more beans
Cooking with the harvested beans... here for making bean bread
The bean bread dough
The bean bread - baked and ready to be enjoyed
Bean cake
Black-eyed beans with green sauce, codfish cakes and white rice
A poster about the bean growing journing for an educational event
Students looking at a display of different bean varieties from the INCREASE experiment
Masks inspired by the INCREASE experiment
