Invierno con Ciencia had over 1,000 participants in its first edition
The event, held on July 24th at the Biblioteca de Santiago, and for the first time in that location, brought together more than 15 institutions and research centers that lead national science in various areas and disciplines.
The Biblioteca de Santiago was filled with enthusiasm and curiosity on July 24th, when over 1,000 participants gathered for the first edition of "Invierno con Ciencia."
During the event, attendees – mostly students from seventh to twelfth grade – enjoyed various workshops, lectures, art exhibitions, books, stores, and other experiences aimed at promoting interest in science. The event captivated participants, offering experiences such as virtual reality simulations and microscope observations.
Antarctica and climate change, mental health, chemical and biological sciences, light phenomena, astronomy, biomedical engineering and medical imaging, marine sciences and microbiology, Chilean dinosaurs, geology and volcanology, mathematics, and super adaptable plants were some of the central topics at the scientific stands, each with its own educational and interactive experiences.
The event aimed to stand out from other science outreach activities by being held in winter, providing more opportunities for the public to engage in such activities. Collaboration was key to achieving this. For Marcela Valdés Rodríguez, director of the Biblioteca de Santiago, this activity was: “An opportunity to bring young people closer to science and spark their interest in it, build a future, and introduce them to the library as a space for information, knowledge, and recreation. The most remarkable aspect is the collaboration and having been able to connect and work together with the Iniciativa Científica Milenio centers. This allows us to establish collaborative relationships that ultimately benefit a significant portion of the population and the Biblioteca de Santiago community," she said.
The event was organized by the following centers: Instituto Milenio de Investigación en Óptica (MIRO), Instituto Milenio en Ingeniería e Inteligencia Artificial para la Salud (iHEALTH), Instituto Milenio de Astrofísica (MAS), Instituto Milenio de Investigación en Riesgo Volcánico (Ckelar Volcanes), and Comunidad InGenio – ISCI (Instituto Sistemas Complejos de Ingeniería), in conjunction with the Biblioteca de Santiago and sponsored by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología, Conocimiento e Innovación.
For Paulina Andrade, Communications Manager of the Instituto Milenio de Investigación en Óptica (MIRO) and who was centrally involved in organizing the event: "It has been gratifying, first, to see that we were able to work as a team and coordinate very well with the Biblioteca and among the centers and research institutes themselves. A large number of schools, students, and the general public attended, including parents with their children and people who saw the schedule and the offerings for the day and came to the talks. This leaves us very happy and satisfied with the effort we made because the idea was for this space to be enjoyable and a pleasant meeting place as well as a rich learning environment for the community," she noted.
Instituto Milenio Base, Núcleo Milenio IMHAY, Instituto Milenio IMO, Museo Natural de Historia Natural, Observatorio ESO, Núcleo Milenio MN-SAP were part of the programmatic proposal of Invierno con Ciencia. Also participating were Fragualab, the scientific content producer BigBang, Telescopios Chile, La Tienda Científica, ZigZag editorial, and the astronomical products store Wanglen Store.
The audience mainly consisted of school students from 16 educational establishments in the Región Metropolitana, belonging to the comunas of Ñuñoa, Santiago, San Felipe, San Bernardo, Peñaflor, Lampa, Pudahuel, Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Quinta Normal, Maipú, and Puente Alto, along with families who came to the library with their children, transforming this event into a true science celebration during the coldest months of winter.
