Signed in recent days three-year collaboration between andNational Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) for the creation, in collaboration with Sicilian educational institutions, of activities aimed at involving students in programs and projects in the field of environmental education and awareness, as well as in the training and promotion of correct lifestyles.
An Agreement that provides for continuous support between the two institutions for the formation of a civic conscience in respect of the environment, to the carrying out of dissemination activities and training courses, both at the national headquarters of the INGV and at schools of all levels in the Sicilian Region.
The first of the events of this important collaboration will take place in the next few days on the occasion of the World Oceans Day: knowing, understanding and living together, an event promoted by INGV da Thursday 6th to Saturday 8th June, in the spaces of the Marina Convention Center in Palermo which they will host workshops, activities, exhibitions, games, documentary film screenings.
Three days dedicated to scientific knowledge, training and the importance of protecting the oceans, fundamental in regulating the Earth's climate and therefore a necessary resource for the conservation of life on our planet.
On the afternoons of 6 and 7 June, workshops will be held dedicated to the training of teachers who will be able to choose, upon registration, the thematic modules of greatest interest to them.
The objective is to provide new tools and experimental methods useful to encourage the approach to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics).
"Again - says the General Director of USR Sicily Giuseppe Pierro - students will have the opportunity to understand the importance of research as a tool of knowledge, essential for taking concrete actions to protect the sea. We do not forget - adds Director Pierro - that since 2020, civic and environmental education has fully become a compulsory course in the first and second cycles of education. Environmental education, in particular, is a theme which in the ministerial indications includes the knowledge and protection of heritage and territory, taking into account the objectives of the UN Agenda 2030".
The event promoted by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology celebrates the established by the United Nations to raise awareness of the impact that human actions have on the ocean. And it is UNESCO itself, and in particular the Ocean Decade ten-year plan (2021-2030) dedicated to the knowledge and protection of the oceans for socio-economic development in harmony with environmental balances, which sponsors the event, identifying in the initiative an important action to raise awareness of the sea theme.
For the scientific and cultural interest of the event, this year the World Oceans Day received the Medal of the President of the Republic, among the most prestigious awards conferred in our country by the Head of State.
"This collaboration represents a significant step towards the creation of initiatives that aim to raise young people's awareness of environmental issues and stimulate their interest in STEAM disciplines - the words of Director of the Environment Department of INGV, Massimo Chiappini -. Our mission is to promote scientific knowledge and innovation, and this agreement allows us to extend our commitment to the education of future generations. Through a set of outreach activities, we intend to not only inform and educate students about the environmental challenges we face, but also inspire them to pursue careers in STEAM disciplines. We firmly believe that education is the most powerful tool to prepare young people to become aware citizens and competent professionals, capable of facing these challenges with creativity and competence"
