Researchers from LSRE-LCM/FEUP carried out a series of outreach sessions in three public schools in Porto metropolitan area, within the scope of the WAVES project – Seawater & Wastewater: Turning Challenges into Resources. The sessions were led by Ana Isabel Gomes, Marta Barbosa and Joana Pesqueira, and took place at Escola Básica e Secundária do Cerco on 19 May, Escola Básica de Santa Bárbara on 20 May, and Escola Secundária de Paredes on 27 May. The activities involved students from the 5^th to the 10^th grade.

The sessions introduced key topics related to water scarcity, the use and treatment of urban wastewater, and the role of advanced treatment technologies in water reuse and environmental protection. The students were invited to reflect on daily water consumption habits, the different stages of wastewater treatment, and the importance of removing visible and invisible contaminants from water. Each session also included a hands-on experimental activity based on coagulation/flocculation for colour removal from a synthetic effluent. Through this activity, students observed how treatment conditions influence floc formation and water clarification, linking basic laboratory principles with real challenges in wastewater treatment.

These activities are part of the WAVES project’s commitment to environmental education and public engagement, promoting scientific literacy and sustainable water management awareness among younger generations. The WAVES project (NORTE2030-FEDER-02716600) is funded by the NORTE2030 programme under the Support System for the Creation of Scientific and Technological Knowledge – Integrated R&D Projects.

On May 12, 2026, within the scope of the project WAVES – Água do Mar e Águas Residuais: Transformar Desafios em Recursos, teachers from public schools in the Northern region visited several research laboratories at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering of FEUP. The visit involved teachers from the Escola Básica e Secundária do Cerco, Escola Secundária de Paredes and Escola Básica de Santa Bárbara, participating in the first edition of the teacher training course Environmental Education and Participatory Methodologies – Water Circle Strategy.

The programme aimed to promote closer contact between teachers and the scientific work developed within WAVES, particularly in the areas of water treatment, resource recovery and environmental sustainability. The visit included laboratories and experimental facilities dedicated to advanced wastewater treatment, nutrient and mineral recovery, analytical methods for the detection of organic pollutants, electrochemical and photocatalytic treatment technologies, membrane distillation, catalytic ozonation, biofilm formation studies and microalgae-based approaches for micropollutant removal.

LSRE-LCM warmly thanks Ana Isabel Gomes, Catarina Cruzeiro, Marta Oliveira Barbosa, Ana Gorito, André Torres-Pinto, Rita Fernandes, Sofia Santos, António Ferreira and Inês B. Gomes for welcoming the teachers and presenting their work in a clear, engaging and accessible way. The visit helped bring FEUP research closer to the school community and strengthened the link between scientific research and environmental education.