The ASIMOV Prize for scientific publishing, which originated in Italy and is aimed at secondary school students, is now in its tenth edition. The prize is supported by the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) and enjoys the patronage of numerous Italian scientific and cultural organisations. Its aim is to bring the younger generations closer to scientific culture through the critical reading of popular science books. Each year, five to seven books are selected by a committee of researchers, professors, PhD students and, above all, around 1,000 teachers from participating schools. The books are then proposed to the ASIMOV prize jury. This is composed entirely of students, who read and review one of the shortlisted books and with their votes determine the winner. All reviews are read and voted on at least four times by the members of the scientific committee. The students, authors of the best reviews, are asked to present the selected books at public lectures held in their regions. The prize ends with the announcement of the winning book at the Salone del Libro in Turin, the largest in Italy. The experience was a great success: 13,000 students/jurors from 330 schools all over Italy participated in the last edition and about 300 of them were awarded prizes.

Keywords: Public engagement, Professional Development of Teachers, Distance and Online Education, Informal Learning, STEM Education Experiences.