This year’s edition of the NanoEduca Programme ended with a special event for the teachers and students of the high schools that participated in the project. The winners of the NanoEduca 2022 Video Contest were awarded in a joyful ceremony.
On May 10 the final event of the NanoEduca 2022 Programme took place at the Faculty of Science of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). The teachers and students of the local high schools involved in the project were invited to this gathering, which consisted in a couple of presentations related with nanoscience and nanotechnology, a roundtable with members of the Catalan Association of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (SCN2), and the award ceremony of the NanoEduca 2022 Video Contest.
Host of the event was Àlex Argemí, Head of the Marketing and Communication Department of the ICN2. After the welcome by Prof. Gemma Garcia Alonso, Dean of the Faculty of Science of UAB, Dr Jordi Diaz Marcos (UAB) gave an entertaining presentation on the “beauty of the nanoworld”. Following, Dr Maria Tenorio (postdoctoral researcher at ICN2), Marta Delgà (PhD student at ICN2), Mateo Sanclemente (PhD student at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of UAB), Genís Rabost (Industrial PhD student at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia) and Diego de la Vega (student of the Master’s degree in History of Science at UAB) –who are all members of the SCN2— replied to questions from the pupils about scientific research and the academic career, as well as about applications of nanotechnology and materials science.
Then, Àlex Argemí presented two exciting educational projects led by the ICN2: the new science popularization Youtube channel “What the física”, which is going to be launched very soon, and the virtual reality application VRainCOM, designed to explain the advanced neural interface technology developed in the framework of the EU project BrainCOM.
Finally, the winners of the NanoEduca 2022 Video Contest dedicated to nanotechnology and its practical applications were announced and the prizes conferred. The best videos, according to the evaluation committee, are “Gravia” by students of the Institut Puig Castellar (Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona) and “Fotosíntesi artificial” by students of the INS Serrallarga (Barcelona). The other finalist videos (which received a special mention) are: “Nanopur” (INS Mercè Rodoreda, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona); “Recicla amb la nano” (INS Serrallarga, Barcelona); and “Formigó Fotònic” (INS Serrallarga, Barcelona).
NanoEduca is a programme designed to introduce nanoscience and nanotechnology to secondary and high school students and teachers. The driving forces behind this initiative are the University of Barcelona (UB), the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the CESIRE (Centre for specific pedagogical resources to support educational innovation and research) of the Department of Education of the Generalitat de Catalunya.