Curaçao's edition of European Researchers' Night: a free Science Festival, the Mad Scientist Science Fair, Science Squad classroom visits and a digital scavenger hunt turning Willemstad into an open-air lab.
In 2 days
CURAKNOW — “Curaçao Island of Knowledge” — is Curaçao's edition of European Researchers' Night and the Researchers at School project, annual Europe-wide celebrations that bring research and researchers closer to the public. Over two years it turns Willemstad into an open-air lab.
The programme runs on four strands. A free Science Festival fills Riffort Village at the Renaissance Mall with pop-up labs, experiments, demonstrations and science talks. The Mad Scientist Science Fair invites schools and students to build a project around one of three challenges — Power Up, Trash to Treasure or the Coconut Challenge — and present it at the festival. The Science Squad brings researchers with a Curaçao connection into classrooms for school visits. And the Sci-Venture Digital Scavenger Hunt sends participants through Otrobanda scanning codes and solving challenges on the way to the festival finale.
The consortium is CITI, TAO Curaçao, the Curaçao Outdoor Industry Alliance (COIA) and the Ocean of Knowledge Foundation Curaçao, realised in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Economic Development, SDG Action Week, Kaya Kaya, Renaissance Mall & Riffort, and the Curaçao Innovation Hub.
The idea is simple: see your island through a new lens. Curiosity required, lab coats and goggles optional.
Sep 2026
Free Science Festival at Riffort Village, Renaissance Mall: pop-up labs, experiments, demonstrations and science talks. The Mad Scientist Science Fair projects are presented and judged here, and the Sci-Venture scavenger hunt finishes here.
Oct 2026
Science Squad researchers start visiting classrooms across the island. Schools can book a visit in the window running to 11 December 2026.
Dec 2026
Final day of the 2026 Science Squad school-visit window.
Schools, teachers and students across Curaçao; scientists and researchers with a connection to the island who want to bring their work into a classroom; organisations that want to contribute an activity; and anyone curious about the science behind Curaçao's oceans, environment, technology, health, energy, food and everyday life. The Science Festival is open to all ages, free of charge.
No. The Science Festival at Riffort Village is free of charge and open to all ages.
Pick one of three challenges — Power Up, Trash to Treasure or the Coconut Challenge — build a simple experiment, prototype or solution, and present it at the Science Festival on 25 September. Schools register through the CITI registration form; the Mad Scientist information booklet has the full brief.
Researchers and scientists with a connection to Curaçao can join the Science Squad and give an hour of their time to a classroom visit. Schools can sign up for a visit between 19 October and 11 December 2026.
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