The Parc d'atraccions Tibidabo and the Sant Pau Research Institute have signed an agreement to increase research outreach with a gender perspective and spark an interest in science among young children, with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science as a focal point
The first of three outreach days to be held at Tibidabo will take place on 20 July, with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of science and the role of women, in preparation for the next International Day of Women and Girls in Science in February 2025
The project revolves around the story of Mariona, an inquisitive eight-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a researcher. Over several days, the children at the park will help Mariona with her science adventure
The Parc d'atraccions Tibidabo and the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) have signed a partnership agreement to boost science outreach with a gender perspective and spark an interest in science among young children. The main focus will be the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which will take place in February 2025. The agreement reflects the two organisations’ shared commitment to making society fairer and more aware of the importance of science and the role of women in it and to promoting a project that combines science, the gender perspective, fun and outreach.
The new partnership will kick off with a day of science through fun at Tibidabo, on 20 July, to promote research with a gender perspective. This will be the first of three events to create awareness and anticipation, building up to the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 9 February 2025.
Science with a gender perspective
IR Sant Pau is the only research institute in Catalonia with a cross-cutting gender programme. The strategic programme’s main goals include putting an end to the gender bias and democratising the role of women and girls in science, highlighting the importance of research into diseases that disproportionately affect women, properly identifying symptoms with gender in mind, including the gender perspective from the earliest stages of research, highlighting the role of women in research, encouraging women to get involved in both scientific and outreach activities, and promoting careers in science for girls and young women.
The Parc d'atraccions Tibidabo, which is well known for its dedication to educational and charity projects, works together with various organisations to highlight high-social-impact initiatives. This makes the park the perfect setting for introducing families to the research institute’s work.
The agreement with IR Sant Pau reinforces Parc d’atraccions Tibidabo’s commitment to education and to encouraging students, particularly young women, to embark on science careers. During the year, the park will become a scientific testing ground for Fisidabo, an event whose last edition attracted over 2,100 students from 58 schools in the fourth year of compulsory education (ESO) and in higher secondary education. Tibidabo also carries out other educational initiatives, such as the CreaTibi space by Lego Education, where children can experiment with robotics and science.
Careers for girls
Many little girls want to be researchers or scientists when they grow up, but they often abandon this dream as teenagers. Some of the main reasons for this are the lack of close role models, gender stereotypes in society (as well as in schools) and a drop – which is particularly sharp in the case of girls – in self-esteem during those years, all of which leads to many of them ruling out certain careers as options for the future.
IR Sant Pau wants to help by providing content and materials to highlight the importance of the gender perspective in the field of health, showcase the various initiatives currently in progress in this regard and fight against misinformation while helping level the playing field.
The story: Mariona’s great adventure
The project will revolve around the story of Mariona, a lively and inquisitive eight-year-old girl in the third year of primary school. Mariona has many friends at school and is very interested in the world of science. She loves going outside at break time and enjoying the outdoors while playing with her friends.
Mariona is very observant. When she was younger, she loved doing experiments by mixing liquids and many other things. Now that she’s a bit older, although she still loves experiments, what she really wants to do is find out how the human body works inside.
Mariona has a special ability. She has the superpower of being the most inquisitive girl in the world. When she grows up, she wants to be a researcher so that she can do experiments all day long and find the answers to all her questions. She wants to use her discoveries to find cures for diseases and save many lives!
When she was younger, she would spend days on end playing at doing experiments with her friends, but she is finding it increasingly difficult to find other girls to play with her. Now she is going to ask all the children who go to Tibidabo during the outreach days to help her friends regain the excitement, enthusiasm and strength to become the scientists they once dreamed of being.
Families will get the chance to help her discover the body’s most important vital organs and accompany her in her adventure of learning all about the brain, heart, muscles and blood during the outreach days scheduled for 20 July, 21 September and 24 November 2024, and on 9 February 2025 there will be a party in which Mariona and her friends will show off their girl power as skilled experimenters once again.
Activities for all ages
Scientists from IR Sant Pau will lead various scientific outreach activities during the three events and on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. These will include talks, workshops and discussions, as well as fun activities for children, such as our giant science puzzle. And it will all be done with a gender perspective.
For more details about the project, and to view the programme for 20 July, go to: https://www.recercasantpau.cat/tot-el-que-has-de-saber-sobre-el-programa-tibidabo-2024/.
