The fourth edition of ‘Ciências nas Férias’, a Summer school organised by the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineering (DER), is taking place since this Monday, the 3rd of July. Two dozen secondary school students participate in several activities on mining engineering, at Técnico – Alameda campus.
The programme is free of charge and includes a wide range of activities such as immersive moments of mining exploration using a virtual-reality headset, a peddy-paper with various activities scattered around Técnico campus, and a visit to a cement factory and a quarry during a blasting operation.
“They have different challenges every day. They are already expecting some of these challenges, but others not so much”. Maria Amélia Dionísio, a professor at DER, does not hide the enthusiasm that the activity brings to the Laboratory of Geosciences and Geotechnologies (GEOLAB), located in the South Tower, at Alameda campus.
In that afternoon, the students were busy with an activity simulating soil boring done in the field. Using straws, they had the task of drawing the contents of a box full of sand. The aim was to identify, as accurately as possible and within the limit of only 10 perforations per box, the position and shape of some pieces of plasticine buried in sediment.
Once the challenge is over, an elevator ride takes the group up to the 11th floor of the South Tower, and after three additional flights of stairs they arrived at the building’s terrace, where they could enjoy a panoramic view of Lisbon city. Cláudia Escada, a 27 years old student in the PhD Programme in Georesources at Técnico, tells us “It is a pity to see that Geology is being left aside. I have the impression that many of the ‘Biology and Geology’ teachers in secondary schools tend to come from the Biology area”. The student feels that by participating in this kind of event she is helping to disseminate geology and she adds “It also ends up helping with the academic work itself”, which gives extra motivation to her research efforts.
As two participants chatter happily, waving sheets of paper to combat the insistent heat, Radhika joins the conversation. The 16-year-old student explains that her interest in materials science brought her to ‘Ciência nas Férias’, after she saw it announced on Técnico’s website. “I’m really enjoying the opportunity to see in person the different work environments where these engineers work.”
The fourth edition of “Ciências nas Férias” brought together professors, Técnico students and secondary school students, and was an opportunity to learn how pursuing a Mining Engineering and Energy Resources degree at Técnico can pave the way for a bright future.
