350 students and teachers celebrated a decade of scientific dissemination under the slogan “Science in figures: discovering patterns and creating solutions for sustainability”.
By: Edgardo Vera Cardenas, Journalist – Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR)/ edgarvera@udec.cl
Images: Courtesy of INCAR
Llico, located 32 km. from Arauco, is a fishing cove with around 600 inhabitants. This town is home to the Filidor Gaete Vocational Technical High School, which teaches the specialty of Aquaculture Technician. This focus on the sea was the beginning of an alliance with the Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR) and the University of Concepción, who have been organizing Llico’s Science Days for 10 years, in collaboration with Arauco’s Municipal Education Department.
“It is difficult for us to put into words the importance of these 10 years of collaboration with INCAR for Llico’s Science Days,” explained the Interim Principal of Llico’s Filidor Gaete High School, Sandra Escobar. “We are so grateful for the work done in this first decade, which has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on our entire educational community.”
Celebrations for this first decade of collaboration saw fourteen institutions take part: “The fact that these research groups are accompanying us today is crucial for us, especially because one of the objectives of this day is to bring high-level scientific knowledge to communities that are far from large urban centers,” explained Pablo Carrasco, INCAR’s Outreach Officer. He also recalled that they worked with the University of Concepción’s Center for Optics and Photonics (CEFOP) in the first event, then led by the University’s current Rector. “We have grown since then, building a collaborative network and working with research centers from different areas, with special emphasis on the interdisciplinary approach of these days, where marine sciences have stood out.”
Ten Years of Experiences and Lessons
In 2022, the Center for Innovation in Educational Leadership (CILED) recognized Filidor Gaete High School in Llico for its school practices. At that time, CILED highlighted the school for its science days and fairs, and the institution’s successful experience was also highlighted in the book “Best Leadership Practices in Vocational Technical Secondary Education (EMTP): 10 Chilean Cases and 1 Mexican Case.
“The document indicates that ”the Science Days at Filidor Gaete High School is a practice that has allowed – through joint work with INCAR and other scientific research centers – to educate students of the school and others of the Arauco coast on key competencies for today’s world, with the development of critical thinking (in the science fair exhibits), problem-solving (in the theoretical-practical workshops with INCAR) and scientific thinking (in the Science Days and their articulation with the specialty’s modules) standing out so that people can make the right decisions for their lives and increase their opportunities.”
“The impact achieved by the days and INCAR’s outreach work in the school is related to a change in the educational approach or the seal that the school has incorporated, where science, art, and environmental education have taken a leading role in the student’s education. There has even been a rise in admission to higher education, from 30% at the beginning of our relationship to 90% in recent years. Of course, this is mostly the merit of the teaching staff and the administration. Still, we cannot ignore that INCAR’s support has contributed to the school’s achievements,” explained Pablo Carrasco, Head of INCAR’s Outreach program.
The Science Days at Llico’s Filidor Gaete Monsalve High School have helped to foster scientific knowledge through more didactic activities, both for the students and the administration and organizing team. “Its continuity will be indispensable to continue reducing social divides and improving students’ expectations regarding their future,” concluded the School’s Interim Principal, Sandra Escobar.
Last modified: 31 de enero de 2025
