To understand “what the rocks tell us” and uncover “the geological secrets of the subsoil”, 30 secondary school students gathered in the Geosciences and Geotechnologies Laboratory (GEOLAB), at Alameda campus of Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, to participate in the 8th edition of “Ciências nas Férias”, Easter edition, between 30 March and 2 April.
During the week-long programme, the students tried out a computer game developed specifically for the programme. The challenge involved investing in excavations, mapping mineralised bodies and managing a limited budget based on the number of possible drill holes, giving students a taste of the reality faced by mining engineers.
“You have to look at the depth of the deposits”, urged the supervisor of one of the five groups during the activity. “Even with a geological map, there are times when investments do not yield returns”, explained Amélia Dionísio, a professor at the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineering (DER), a researcher at Centro de Recursos Naturais e Ambiente (CERENA) and the person in charge of the initiative.
Once the activity was over, they left behind the notes made in their notebooks and moved on to another practical activity. During the break, bottles of water, rocks and conductivity meters replaced keyboards to continue the activity led by Orquídea Neves and José Manuel Marques, both professors at Técnico.
The activity allowed participants to explore the connections between water and the minerals and rocks through which it flows. For that, participants analysed bottle labels and compared parameters such as mineralisation and conductivity. “Water flowing through different environments has varying levels of mineralisation and conductivity. This can give us an idea of the water composition in terms of dissolved minerals”, explained Orquídea Neves.
Catarina Gonçalves, a member of CERENA and an activity leader for the first time at “Ciências nas Férias”, highlighted the activities carried out, such as the immersive reality experience with 3D glasses and the peddy paper. She explained that the initiative offers an overview of the Undergraduate Programme in Mining and Energy Resources Engineering and its “practical applications”. Throughout the week, the students had the opportunity to “study the quarry, visit the site, collect samples and carry out laboratory tests”, she explained.
Catarina, an 11th-grade student at Colégio Oriente, heard about the initiative through her father: “I saw the post on social media and got really excited”, she said. Samuel, from Alvide Secondary School, and Leonor, from Salvaterra de Magos Basic and Secondary School, found out about “Ciências nas Férias” through their teachers and showed interest in the Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering undergraduate programmes at Técnico.
After visiting a quarry, on the third day the pupils had the chance to get to know the Cluster Portugal Mineral Resources Association (ACPMR), which used a game to highlight the importance of mineral resources in everyday life. “The aim is to understand what minerals exist, where we can find them and what we can do with them. In a practical exercise, we established the link between minerals and products”, explained Tânia Peças, project manager.
Additionally, the students built models outdoors, developing proposals for the rehabilitation of quarries in the post-exploitation phase. João Meira, a representative from Visa Consultores, a company specialising in the extractive industry, explained that the main message to be conveyed is that “the extractive industry can operate within environmental and sustainability regulations. It is both necessary and imperative to rehabilitate these sites rather than abandon them after exploitation”.
Duarte, a student at Madeira Torres Secondary School, presented his group’s project, which involved building thermal baths: “It’s an abandoned rock salt quarry. The saline properties have health benefits, which could boost tourism and revitalise the town. Furthermore, the town’s residents would have free access”, he explained. Rita and her team, from the same school, developed a sustainable hotel with natural pools. After building the models outdoors, the students presented and defended their projects before the other participants.
The last day of “Ciências nas Férias” was focused on analysing the data collected throughout the activities, preparing and presenting a portfolio using storytelling techniques, and wrapping up the programme, which included the presentation of certificates.
“Students’ interest has grown. Exceptionally, we had to open up 30 places; the limit was 25”. Amélia Dionísio concluded that all previous editions have been “successful”, noting that the surveys conducted at the end of the activities reflect a “very positive picture” of the initiative.
Tuition fees for the Undergraduate Programme in Mining and Energy Resources Engineering at Técnico are covered by several Portuguese companies in the mineral and energy resources sector, through the Recursos+ programme.
