The campus celebrates the science festival

Once a year, science takes over the university campus (Polytechnic and Quintiliano buildings of the University of La Rioja, as well as the pedestrian area) to offer its most recreational aspect, but without forgetting its informative aspect. Next week Ciencialia will offer 21 children’s workshops and more than twenty shows, exhibitions and other scientific dissemination activities for the whole family on the afternoon of Friday, June 28 (from 5 to 8 p.m.) and on the morning of Saturday, June 29. June (9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.).

The event, last year in its first edition, brought together more than a thousand people so on this occasion, with the same spirit it brings together again –mainly– Primary students and their families.

In the presentation, Eduardo Fonseca Pedrero (Vice Chancellor of Research and Internationalization of the UR) described Ciencialia as “the great scientific festival of the summer”, and framed it in the collaboration agreement of the UR with the Government of La Rioja and the City Council of Logroño to carry out some actions that serve, among other things, to disseminate science among society and, more especially, among the youngest.

Fonseca recalled that the objective of a university – which appears in the founding act of the UR – is teaching, research and also “the transfer of knowledge and within that line we want with the organized activities that the children, hand in hand with the play and fun, bring them closer to scientific knowledge and generate expectations that they can be scientists tomorrow.

For his part, Miguel Ángel Fernández Torroba, Vice-Minister of Education, Universities and Vocational Training of the Government of La Rioja, expressed himself along the same lines as Fonseca when describing Ciencialia as “the great festival of scientific dissemination” and encouraged participation in the events next Friday and Saturday “because they will allow a fun and diverse contact with science,” and expressed his hope that this year even more than the thousand people who attended the activities last year will attend.

Miguel Sáinz, deputy mayor and Councilor for City Promotion of the Logroño City Council, pointed out that the city is very fortunate “because it has two great poles of scientific dissemination such as the University of La Rioja and the House of Sciences.” In addition, Sáinz advanced the interest of the Capital City Council that, next year, some of these outreach activities leave the Campus to take them to central and commercial areas of the city, “because these types of events help to energize the city.”

Rosario López, one of the Ciencialia coordinators, outlined the program and explained that Friday will be a day especially dedicated and oriented to children. Workshops related to science, but also linked to the humanistic part and art, will take place that day and will even address scientific theater “in which everyone will have to act because it is a space for learning through fun.”

Some of Friday’s workshops will continue on Saturday (the drawings that have been designed with the help of artificial intelligence can be printed on Saturday on t-shirts or bags and the same will happen with the design of magnets that will be printed in 3D).

In any case, Rosario López encouraged not only to participate in the workshops – which require prior registration – but also to leave space and time “to enjoy all the recreational activities that are going to take place on the campus and in its interactive space.” .

Some workshops have been included in the Ciencialia programming, which require prior registration through the UR website and are aimed at boys and girls between 6 and 12 years old (for some of them they must be accompanied by their parents or Adults).

In some cases, the workshops will be taught by children, with the support of an adult. “This experience seeks to inspire and motivate participants by seeing that their instructors, children like them, are references in the short term,” explained Rosario López, coordinator of Ciencialia.

On Friday, June 28, at 5 and 7 p.m. (two shifts per workshop), in the Polytechnic and Departmental buildings of the University of La Rioja, the workshops are scheduled: ‘The science of art’, ‘Hacking and cybersecurity’ , ‘Robopets in action: design and programming your robot companion’, ‘Build and program your own robotic pet!’, ‘Imagine and create with Artificial Intelligence: digital art and creative design’, ‘Design and create: your 3D printed masterpiece!’, ‘Cooking blind: a print kitchen’, ‘Space explorers and creative scientists’, ‘Science and printing: design your own fashion’, ‘Mathematical origami’; ‘Brains and planets: cosmic and neural adventures’.

Meanwhile, the options for Saturday, June 29, at 10, 11 and 12 p.m. (three shifts per workshop), are: ‘Science and style: create your scientific fashion’, ‘Magical science: surprising experiments’, ‘Screen printing ( bags and t-shirts), ‘Challenges with dots, paths and plasticine’, ‘Leonardo’s structures’, ‘A brain to discover’, ‘Chemical experiments’, ‘Magnetism and curiosities’ and ‘Poetry and science’. These workshops will take place in the Quintiliano Building.