Hub Cognitivo · Secondary schools
The big questions about the mind, with 12 to 16 year olds
A program for secondary schools that invites pupils to think about what consciousness is, combining rigorous science communication with guided experiences of introspection and debate.
The program
Thinking out loud about consciousness
Hub Cognitivo is designed for young people between 12 and 16 and encourages debate and reflection about what consciousness is. Through a combination of scientific concepts and introspective experiences, participants develop their capacity to think critically and creatively about the nature of the mind.
The program starts from questions modern science is still exploring: What is consciousness? Why does the brain not show us the world as it is, but a reconstruction of it? What does quantum physics actually say about the role of the observer, and what gets attributed to it beyond what it says?
That last question is deliberate. Telling apart what the evidence supports from what gets hung on top of it is, in itself, the exercise in critical thinking we want pupils to take home.
How it unfolds
The three phases of the program
Opening talks
We introduce concepts from the neuroscience of perception and from contemporary physics, adapted for young people: how the brain constructs what we perceive, and what superposition, entanglement and the role of measurement really are. We also make clear where the evidence ends and interpretation begins.
Intuitive introspection
Participants take part in guided introspective experiences: mindfulness exercises, visualisations and activities that invite them to explore their own inner processes. What they have learned is connected to each pupil's subjective experience.
Shared reflection
A space for dialogue opens up where every pupil can voice their own view of what they experienced. Through collective debate, the group builds a richer understanding of consciousness, the mind and reality.
For teachers
What it is, and what it is not
Hub Cognitivo does not teach that quantum physics explains consciousness, because today it does not. What it does is use the open questions of contemporary science as a starting point for guided debate, and work explicitly on the difference between a hypothesis, an interpretation and an established result.
It fits well alongside philosophy, biology, physics and tutorial time, and works particularly well with groups where there is an interest in building arguments and respecting differing positions.
Would your school like to take part?
If you are a teacher or part of a school's leadership team and would like to explore how Hub Cognitivo could enrich your pupils' educational experience, write to us.
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