Scientific knowledge is not useful knowledge until we bring it closer to society. And who better than children to put our research into practice? This school year 2022-23, Escola La Pau in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia has initiated an alliance with ICTA-UAB in the framework of the Magnet program of the Bofill Foundation.
What is the Magnet Alliance and what are the benefits for the school?
The program promotes the alliance of an educational center with an institution of excellence in a specific field of knowledge. This alliance allows the school to develop an innovative and quality educational project, an attractive project that has magnetism and becomes a reference project in its territory, both for families and for the educational community.
Escola La Pau wants to promote scientific inquiry, involvement and commitment to improving the environment and together build a more sustainable world. The Magnet alliance with ICTA-UAB and the pedagogical transformation process will allow them to work on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from a scientific and critical perspective. The environment of the educational center, located in a privileged setting in the middle of vineyards, will become a great source of learning through Magnet projects.
The Magnet program has brought together 36 educational centers with a total of 10,958 students and 1,191 teachers from 22 municipalities throughout Catalonia. It is an opportunity for schools to offer learning adapted to the training needs of students in today’s society, implementing new work methodologies. With constant training and support and the alliance with a prestigious institution, the educational center is moving towards a multidisciplinary and skills-based approach and meaningful learning, which places the student at the center.
What does Sostenipra offer?
Escola La Pau is very interested in developing a sustainable vegetable garden-laboratory where primary school children can learn and experiment. Sostenipra’s experience in sustainable urban agriculture comes into play in the co-design and development of the garden. Through classroom activities, 2nd grade students work on various concepts and ideas related to the garden. Thus, activities in calculus, language, natural sciences and arts integrate elements that will be used to design, develop and use the garden.
In addition, Sostenipra can test their research. For example, one of the activities that students work on is water consumption in irrigation and how to reduce it. In this case, Sostenipra has installed one of the smart irrigation prototypes of the SIRAH project to implement it in an outdoor urban garden and better understand the experience of the school as a user of this product.
How is the alliance working?
The first months of this alliance have been a success. The enthusiasm of all the actors involved is turning it into a very lively and enriching project for everyone: students, teachers, researchers, families… Sostenipra has participated in school events, such as the school open house, and we are always welcomed very warmly. We hope that this experience is a positive one for the school! We are learning a lot!
Don’t miss out on our progress on Twitter and Instagram (@sostenipra)
News source: ICTA-UAB
