During the first half of October, the José Echegaray School and the ICMAB celebrated the start of the final year of their collaboration. As every school year begins, a new theme is introduced for the partnership, this time "Materials That Change the World". Following "The Many Forms of Carbon", "Bioinspiration", and "The Materials in Toys", this year the pupils have chosen a theme inspired by the transformative power of materials.
The primary school students took centre stage during the European Researchers' Night at the Martorell Cultural Centre. The opening presentation, usually given by an ICMAB researcher, was delivered this time by 5th and 6th-grade pupils, accompanied by Anna Crespi and Anna Drou.
The older students guided two hands-on workshops for their fellow primary school students. In the first workshop, they created spherifications to simulate targeted medical treatments for organs within the human body. In the second, they recreated a small ocean on a plate and used tiny iron particles and oil moved by a magnet to capture microplastics, although it was noted that this method has limitations and broader discussions on sustainability are needed.
The students also put together an exhibition showcasing projects from previous years and prepared take-home packs with materials and instructions for visitors to conduct small experiments. The event culminated in a television appearance on InfoK, where reporters documented the pupils' experiments, highlighting their passion for science and their understanding of the profound role materials play in transforming the world.
The MAGNET project, now in its third year, has enabled the school to develop students' ability to carry out the research process independently, thanks to the tremendous efforts of its teachers. ICMAB researchers will continue to support the school throughout this final year.
