HR4RS stamp
Irene Vega
Promoting scientific and technological knowledge and awakening vocations are the main objectives of the 'Science à la carte' conference, which this year has held its second edition. Second-year high school students have visited the URJC to see first-hand the work of scientists and their workspaces.
The programmed activities have tried to show some of the different areas of knowledge that are taught at ESCET: Environmental Sciences, Food Science and Technology, Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Geology or Biology. “At URJC we combine teaching and research in science and technology. We enjoy what we do and we want you to know what it consists of. In the program of activities we try to cover the maximum variation in its contents”, says José Manuel González, director of the conference and professor at ESCET.
The students have been able to choose 'à la carte' the activities that, due to their content, have been more attractive and profitable for their training. For example, they have observed the different parts of a moss under an optical microscope. “What we have seen is exactly what we are doing in Biology and, at least, it helps me a lot”, points out Cristina López, a student at the British Council School. His colleague George Zis adds that this activity has been quite useful for him because “it presents more or less what you are going to find in this field when you come to study and prepares you for what you are going to do in the not so distant future ”.
Experiences with the five senses and scientific challenges
The 'Science à la carte' conferences are part of the calendar of events to promote scientific culture that the UCC+i programs annually. Initiatives like this one aim to motivate students to embark on a scientific career with dynamic and participatory activities. The attendees have had to test their knowledge and face different challenges. On the one hand, they have been able to experiment with food and learn the secrets of food technology using smell. In addition, they have learned to interpret the images of the satellites that observe the Earth, they have been shown different types of invertebrates that inhabit a pond and the different species of pollinators that exist.
Other challenges have consisted of solving different hypotheses to make everyday objects with innovative materials and escaping from a laboratory by solving puzzles with the help of physics. “Without a doubt, the playful component is effective. Although we do not pretend that science is all laboratory action and fun. There are moments of trial and error, others of repeating and repeating the same thing until sufficient evidence is accumulated”, underlines the director of the conference.
On the other hand, the participants have also had the opportunity to visit the facilities of the Technological Support Center of the Móstoles campus of the URJC. This experience has allowed them to get to know an authentic renewable energy unit, a wastewater treatment plant, a chemical engineering plant and an open-air laboratory to learn how climate change is studied.
The realization of the activities has been possible thanks to the call for aid from the Vice-rectorate for University Extension and has also had the support of ESCET and the Vice-rectorate for Research.