The Mosquito Alert educational project, which brings together science, public health and school participation, will celebrate its final event of the year with a very special day in the Gardens of the CSIC’s National Museum of Natural Sciences, on the CSIC’s central campus in Madrid.
It will be a day to share, learn and celebrate all that has been built throughout the year. One hundred young people from 9 different autonomous communities, accompanied by the teachers who have carried out the programme, will defend their projects and learn about the work of other centres from all over the country.
Throughout the day, the event will take place in different phases: first there will be a science fair, followed by a visit to the museum and, finally, the final product competition!
Programme of the 2nd Mosquito Alert Science Fair
Science Fair (12:00–14:00 h)
The day will open with the Science Fair, a dynamic and participative space where students will be the protagonists and will be able to exhibit and explain their final products in front of a jury made up of professionals from the fields of research, education and public health.
The final products differ according to the modality of participation:
- Sample collectors (5th and 6th grade primary school): they will present their lapbooks with information and discoveries about mosquitoes and their environment.
- Science communicators (1st to 3rd ESO): they will show outreach products such as videos, graphic materials or awareness and outreach campaigns.
- Young researchers (4th ESO and Baccalaureate): they will present the results of their scientific research through a scientific poster, following the academic model.
Each center has internally selected its best proposal to bring to this final, which means that all the projects will compete for the prize!
Visit to the Museum (14:00–16:00 h)
After the fair, schools that wish to do so will be able to enjoy a guided visit to the CSIC’s National Museum of Natural Sciences, accompanied by educators.
This space, one of the oldest natural history museums in the world and a benchmark in scientific dissemination in Spain, houses fascinating collections of biodiversity, geology and evolution. From whale skeletons to dinosaur fossils, including exhibitions on climate change and species conservation.
We would especially like to thank the National Museum of Natural Sciences of the CSIC for opening its doors to us and collaborating in this event.
Award presentations (16:00-17:30 h)
We will close the day in the auditorium of the CSIC Central, where we will celebrate the awaited awards ceremony. The jury will be made up of leading figures in science and public health: researchers from different centres of the CSIC, UPF, CRESA-IRTA, the University of Valladolid, and representatives of the National Museum of Natural Sciences. Also participating as members of the jury are teachers with a long history in the programme, contributing their experience of more than five years.
A project that grows with each edition
The event on 5 June is more than just a closing day: it is a reflection of the commitment of the teachers, the enthusiasm of the students and an educational network that is committed to science as a tool for social transformation, bringing students closer to real challenges related to invasive mosquitoes and disease vectors, climate change and public health.
It is thanks to the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, FECYT, that this educational programme can take place, as well as programmes such as Science City (CSIC) and the Barcelona Public Health Agency.
Thanks to all the participating schools, the teachers involved and the collaborating institutions for making this scientific adventure possible.
See you on 5 June in Madrid to celebrate the power of knowledge, creativity and the buzz of scientific citizenship in action.
