La main à la pâte Awards 2025 Winners Announced
The Fondation La main à la pâte and the Académie des sciences are honored to unveil the 2025 winners of the La main à la pâte Awards, recognizing excellence and innovation in science and technology education. Rewarding over 330 students, the "Elementary - Middle Schools" category highlights 10 outstanding projects carried out during the 2024-2025 school year.
Elementary - middle schools category
First prize (tie) : Aire terrestre éducative "Paris en Seine"
Paris - École élémentaire Doudeauville : 2nd grade (CE1) and 5th grade (CM2)
Paris en Seine is a scientific, artistic, and civic exploration project based on an educational land area along the banks of the Seine. Students observe the river, its biodiversity, an conservation challenges, collaborating with other classes along its course from source to mouth. The project combines fieldwork, scientific exchanges, a "water week", and an interdisciplinary approach integrating science, arts, and theater. It culminates in a stage performance at the Théâtre de la Reine Blanche, showcasing student discoveries while developing scientific literacy, expression, and civic engagement.
More about Aire terrestre éducative
Elementary - middle schools category
First prize (tie) : Du vent dans les voiles
Issoire - Collège de Verrière : 8th grade (4e)
In the context of ecological transition in maritime transport, Du vent dans les voiles invites students to study the potential of sail propulsion to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cargo ships. Using scientifi and technological research, students analyze hiw an ancient energy source can address current decarbonization challenges in national trade.
More about Du vent dans les voiles
Elementary - middle schools category
First prize (tie) : La cour de demain
Annoeullin - Collège Albert Ball : 6th to 9th grade (6e-4e)
La cour de demain engages students to reimagining their schoolyard based on their expressed needs and climate-relate considerations. The project aims to create inclusive, sustainable spaces adapted to environmental changes, while fostering critical thinking and student participation.
Elementary - middle schools category
Second prize (tie) : L'arbre des couleurs
Bassens - École maternelle Chef-Lieu : Middle and senior Kindergarten (MS and GS)
As part of the "Peindre avec la nature" challenge, L'arbre des couleurs encourages students to produce pigments from natural elements. Through hypothesis formulation and experimentation, they create colored juices used to dye fabrics, culminating in a collaborative artistic installation that blencs science and creativity.
More about L'arbre des couleurs
Elementary - middle schools category
Second prize (tie) : 1, 2, 3, Plant'haie
Le Puy-en-Velay- École de Taulhac : 4th and 5th grade (CM1 and CM2)
Conducted over two years, 1, 2, 3, Plant'haie raises student awareness of biodiversity and the role of hedgerows in ecosystems. Guided by scientists and local stakeholders, students perform experiments, field observations, and concrete actions, resulting in planting and maintaining a hedge in collaboration with the municipality-demonstrating strong environmental and civic engagement.
More about 1, 2, 3, Plant'haie
Jury spotlight
Peut-on faire voler un ballon sur Mars pour en cartographier la surface ?
Lannion - Collège Charles Le Goffic : 8th grade (4e)
Inspired by Mars exploration and the limitations of the Ingenuity drone, students investigated using a balloon to explore the Red Planet. They studied the physics of flight, compared Earth and Martian atmospheric conditions, and designed a prototype for this extreme environment, integrating research, experimentation, and scientific modeling.
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Honorable Mentions
Éclosion
Préval - École primaire Henri Matisse : Nursery to Senior Kindergarten (TPS to GS)
Éclosion allowas students to observe an egg's development to hatching. Through experiments and research, they explore reproduction, life cycle and animale welfare. The interdisciplinary project, supported by multiple partners, fosters scientifi curiosity, ethical refflection, and collective involvement.
Peindre avec la nature : "Fenêtre sur la nature"
Frontenex - École élémentaire publique : 2nd grade (CE1)
Students create natural paints from organic materials, eperimenting, observing, and transforming matter before producing an aartistic work, blending science, creativity, and environmental awareness.
More about Peindre avec la nature
De l'air à la respiration : découvrir qu'ils/elles sont scientifiques
La Riche - École élémentaire Ferdinand Buisson : 2nd and 3rd grade (CE1 and CE2)
As part of the Program "Les sciences c'est leur chance", students explore air and respiration with a doctoral mentor, engaging in inquiry-based scientific investigation to develop autonomy, curiosity and confidence as yound researchers.
More about De l’air à la respiration
Special prize from the Académie des technologies - Un sac solaire innovant au service des élèves
Mamoudzou (Mayotte) - Collège Ouvoimoja : 9th grade (3e)
Un sac solaire project, part of sustainable development and technological innovation option, provides a pratical tool to help students pack their shools bags and avoid forgetting items. Using RFID cards linked to school supplies, the system integraed an Arduino Uno, RDFID readers, LCD screen, and buzzer. Each detected item triggers visual and audio signals, with missing items indicated in real time until confirmation is displayed. This electronics and programming project promotes autonomy and inclusive use, especially for students with organizational challenges.
Master's in teaching, education and training (MEEF) Awards
First prize
Initiation to complex thinking in Cycle 3: didactic engineering on the Water footprint of food resources. Basile CHATTON (INSPE de Bretagne)
Honorable mentions:
Is inquiry-based science learning suitable for all type of learners ? Alexandre KUNTZ (INSPE de Strasbourg)
Student engagement through play in education for sustainable development. Clarissa CORRE, Anaïs HOAREAU-MIRANVILLE, May-Line LUSANG (INSPE de La Réunion)
How interdisciplinary project implementation in preschool fosters vocabulary development: a case study on the Sea. Luana RICHARD (INSPE de Draguignan)
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