The objective of this educational program is to promote STEM vocations among students in Grade 2 to 6

Hidralia and its foundation, Aquae Foundation, in a virtual way, an act of recognition to assess the great work done by students, teachers and families during the first course of Aquae STEM, educational program that aims to promote the interest of students from 2nd to 6th Primary for STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). An edition involving around 2,500 girls.

An event in which the delegate of Education of the City of San Fernando, María José Foncubierta, participated, since there have been several centers of the town (Vicente Tofiño, Puente Zuazo and San Ignacio) that have participated in this program.

In fact, during yesterday's day, the work carried out by the Colegio Puente Zuazo, which has developed the most original solution in the online activity (3rd phase of the program) was recognized in a special way, highlighting for its criteria, artistic uniqueness, the history that counts, the actors and characters that intervene and the actions that they perform.

"It's been a fantastic initiative for the center. Something innovative that has never been done, that has been faced this first time with great enthusiasm and in which both students and families have turned. Without this project it would have been much more complicated for them to work STEM skills with a teaching and playful material that has allowed them to understand technological concepts well. Also highlight the effort made by the students to continue during the confinement with the work through tutorials and online", explains the teacher Lucía Santiago.

In the same vein, the Councilor of Island Education has expressed, who congratulated the school and reflected that "from public education steps continue to be taken to give the best quality training to students, innovating, developing new challenges and putting all the means at their disposal to succeed in any circumstance, as the coronavirus crisis has shown us". The building has also thanked the work of the Aquae STEM educational program "that works for a better future of our society, and is another step in the work for equality that we all have to do, especially in the field of education".

Puente Zuazo is one of eight schools that have been recognized, in addition to the quality of their work, for being great representatives of the globality of centers and students participating in the Aquae STEM program, implemented in 50 schools in Spain.

"After the closure of the schools on 16 March, 2.9 million primary school students stopped going to their respective schools. A situation that did not prevent both students and teachers from continuing to work on our program. To date, we have made several webinars for teachers and students that has allowed them to deepen the operation of the digital platform of the program and the contents of its activities through online training sessions", highlights Mariola Urrea, President of the Strategy Council of Fundación Aquae.
"Aquae STEM has been reinforced by this crisis situation generated by coronavirus; a period in which we have continued to promote STEM among girls in a fun and innovative way thanks to the commitment, enthusiasm and participation of the entire Aquae STEM community. Two very representative data: during the confinement 57 projects have been published and another 435 are ongoing", says Urrea.

During confinement, Aquae STEM has remained active, driving online training of hundreds of teachers and students. Students have been able to complete from home the third phase of this program thanks to webinars in which they have learned and resolved doubts about Scratch 3.0., a programming language that they use to find sustainable solutions to challenges related to the theme of water, such as drought or floods.

The online challenges represent the 3rd phase of this educational project, following the discussion activities (1st phase) and the workshops (2nd phase). Discussions energized by a teacher address topics such as the current importance of scientific and technological vocations and the people behind stem professions. In addition, in the workshops students discover the applications of STEM through the resolution of a challenge, working on guided projects that work in the classroom. In online activity, students learn programming and share their solutions on the Aquae STEM website.

Only 35% of students enrolled in STEM-related careers in higher education are women and it is precisely these scientific-technological areas that generate the most employment, according to the report 'Deciphering the Code: Education of Girls and Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)', published by UNESCO in 2019.

If the evolution of the pandemic permits, in autumn an act of face-to-face recognition will be organized, in which students and teachers from the seven centres that host Aquae STEM will participate in Andalusia.