The Luzaro teaching center has prepared a week dedicated to science. This is the second edition, after last year was a great success. The objectives of this initiative are to develop students’ scientific competence, to make known the gender difference in science, and through experiments and manipulation to bring to light the little scientist that each student has inside. In order to carry out this initiative, they will have the collaboration of different sectors and local people.
Last Thursday the activities began and they did so celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Within the framework of the regional initiative, ‘Debabarrena STEAM’, which aims to promote scientific-technological vocations among the youth of the region and that of girls in particular, the Bajo Deba Development Agency, Debegesa, in collaboration with The agents of the STEAM_Debabarrena Forum, organized various initiatives on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. One of these activities was a virtual meeting aimed at Debabarrena schools under the slogan ‘Enjoy, have fun and learn with science’. The young researcher and inventor Maitane Alonso and the protagonist of the prestigious YouTube channel Valpat participated in this meeting.
Maitane Alonso is the inventor of a project that investigates how to preserve food. Despite being only twenty years old, he has been awarded several awards, including the Hypatia Award: Young Talent in Science, the 2019 New Inspirational Woman Award, the Intel-ISEF International Competition or the MIT Award, for which an asteroid it bears his name. He gives conferences on scientific and technological dissemination and has participated in national and international events.
The members of the YouTube channel Valpat STEAM are Valeria, the 12-year-old scientist youtuber and Patricia, a telecommunications engineer. The objective of the YouTube channel is to motivate and inspire girls and boys to enter the world of technology and robotics and become fond of this world. They make fun technological videos for girls and boys to learn and enjoy with programming, robotics, electronics, 3D printing and math projects. Valeria Corrales received the ‘Inspirational Girl of the Year’ award in 2019.
On Thursday the Luzaro students also made different drawings of how each one sees the figure of a scientist. Those drawings will adorn the hallways of the school this week.
Workshops
The workshops will have a great role during this scientific week. Last year a small planetarium was installed where students could enjoy different screenings. One of the new things expected for this edition is a 3D printer, next Thursday and Friday the students will be able to see first-hand how this device works. Like last year, parents will also participate in different workshops. The school center appealed to parents to participate by teaching classes and the response was very positive. Many volunteers have signed up and with topics of all kinds.
Every afternoon several workshops will be given for each course, either in Spanish or in Basque. The topics to be discussed will be the following: Robotics, chemistry, science … From Luzaro they declare that it is an activity that has developed a lot of interest and enthusiasm in parents and students. Since it is an opportunity for parents to see first-hand the vocation and interest that their children may have regarding science.
Not only will workshops and experiments be carried out, a space has also been reserved for documentary screenings. The Ostolaza Municipal Library will collaborate in this science week by giving some scientific documentaries to the school library. Chapters of the ‘Teknopolis’ program and aquaculture videos sent by a debarra from Thailand will be broadcast.
