Outreach activities
We seek to raise public awareness of chemical research as a key factor in the progress of our society. ICIQ is also committed to engage and encourage youngsters to pursue a career in chemistry research. To this end, in 2014 we carried out several outreach activities to audiences of all ages as a way to get chemistry closer to society.
Química en Família
18th and 19th of November (ICIQ Auditorium)
“Química en Familia” is a chemistry workshop that has established itself as one of the most popular activities in the Science Week in Tarragona. This year, more than 140 children attended the event divided in two days. They came to ICIQ to become little scientists and they had the chance to perform different and simple experiments, by using every-day materials. Experiments involving the crystallization of different compounds were the special guests of this 2014 edition. And, of course, we also counted with the collaboration of Xavier Asensio, ICIQ glassblower, who always demonstrates that glass is not as rigid as we may think it is.
Guided tour and workshop on Crystallography
November (Science Week)
During the fourth week of November, various high schools came to the ICIQ to learn more about who we are and what we do here. We organized an interactive tour and workshop on Crystallography conducted by Drs. Jordi Benet-Buchholz (X-ray Diffraction Unit manager) and Laia Pellejà, in charge of ICIQ’s outreach activities. In 2014 the following high schools paid us a visit: La Salle, Sagrat Cor and Mare de Déu del Carme (Tarragona), Fonts de la Glorieta (Alcover), i Marta Mata (Salou).
Video
Crazy about Chemistry
In 2014 we inaugurated our Crazy about Chemistry year-long course in chemistry for high-school students. This training activity is funded by the Crazy about Science programme of the Catalunya-La Pedrera Foundation. It is directed at students in their first year of high school, with a special interest and talent on chemistry and research, and who want to expand their scientific knowledge through hands-on experiments in an excellent research centre.
Teaching teachers
“Synthesis of the aspirin”: Workshop funded by the “Professors i Ciència” programme of the Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera. This programme provides secondary school teachers in Catalonia with the opportunity to participate in specialized courses or workshops conducted by researchers from scientific research centers in Catalonia.
“Analytical Methods of Organic Compounds”: Course in collaboration with the Departament d’Ensenyament de la Generalitat de Catalunya which offers complementary training to high school teachers. The course is coordinated by Dr. Gisela Colet, ICIQ’s research support area manager, and it counts also with the collaboration of unit managers and technicians from this area. The course consists of 5 sessions of 3 or 2 hours each, and it takes place at ICIQ facilities.
Other activities to support high school students
Two high school students did a three-week placement in the laboratory of Professor José Ramón Galán-Mascarós through the “Joves i Ciència” programme (Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera) in which ICIQ participates. ICIQ’s computational groups also hosted a student awarded by the Societat Catalana de Química (SCQ) for the quality of his research project.
ICIQ also opens its doors to students and secondary education centres that wish to do the experimental part of the research project (treball de recerca) in our centre. In 2014 we oversaw 25 research projects.
Barcelona Science and Technology Fair
June 14th, Parc de la Ciutadella (Barcelona)
Workshop “Light as Source of Energy”. Visitors to our stand learnt about using solar light to generate hydrogen (a fuel) or electricity. They saw the spinning of the helices of a woden-made helicopter powered by a solar cell.
Visits to schools
November, Science Week
Around 200 children at Pau Delclòs and l’Arrabassada schools in Tarragona enjoyed a day of experiments conducted by ICIQ researchers. They built a volcano with vinegar and baking soda, ate ice cream made with liquid nitrogen and played with blandiblu they made in class, among other experiments.