The visit was a special occasion, as CITEEC does not typically organize school visits for educational levels below secondary education. This initiative arose from the prize awarded to Sara Vázquez Méndez, a student from CEIP de Currelos, who received a special mention in the 1st School Comic Contest "Woman in Engineering," organized by the research center itself. The prize included a visit to the facilities for the winner and up to 25 accompanying persons.
During the tour, the children were able to engage with engineering research in a practical, interactive, and fun way. Experiences that particularly captured their attention included a wind tunnel filled with balloons; an experimental harbor and coast dock where they observed the behavior of toy boats in a storm; a rain simulator that allowed them to learn about the urban water cycle, from the start of rainfall to what happens within the sewage system; and a construction laboratory where they experimented with the resistance of different materials.
Through this initiative, CITEEC aims to spark scientific curiosity from the earliest educational stages, bring research closer to society, and foster scientific-technological vocations, while also promoting girls' interest in science and engineering from a young age.
The 1st School Comic Contest "Woman in Engineering," convened by CITEEC on the occasion of the International Day of Women in Engineering, was aimed at primary and secondary students from all over Galicia with the goal of raising awareness of women's contributions in this field and helping to reduce the gender gap in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
