In order to encourage scientific vocations in children and young people through science, technology and innovation, the Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Extensión of the Universidad Industrial de Santander launched the third phase of the Investigators by Nature Program, Santurbán Chapter last Friday.
This extension program “has as its basic purpose to contribute to the social appropriation of knowledge among girls, boys and young people in the Santurbán area, from the institutional plan of the University, contributing to training and outreach in the territories,” said Professor Andrea Hernández Quirama, Director of Research and Extension of the Faculty of Human Sciences.
In this new phase, the University has the inter-institutional cooperation of the Acueducto Metropolitano de Bucaramanga (amb) and the Cámara de Comercio de Bucaramanga (CCB), and extends to 4 new educational institutions in the Province of Soto Norte, with approximately 100 new students, to which 19 teachers from the area and 13 young promoters of the UIS are linked, who will interact in 10 seedlings of that province.
Since 2019, the program has been developing with 7 educational institutions with the participation of 29 teachers from the area, serving 299 children and young people from the municipalities of Vetas, California, Suratá and Charta. “The idea is now to reach new institutions to expand the impact of the program’s coverage. This new phase will be developed with the municipalities of Tona and Matanza,” said Andrea Prado Blanco, the program’s social coordinator.
Hernán Clavijo Granados, general manager of Acueducto Metropolitano de Bucaramanga, said: “We are looking for initiatives in which we can articulate efforts with other institutions. In this case, with the Cámara de Comercio de Bucaramanga and the Universidad Industrial de Santander we are working with the objective of bringing an academic offer to the province of Soto Norte, where we can benefit children and young people in those education and research programs that promote the development of this region”.
Diana María Reinoso Gómez, director of the Matanza Sectional of the Cámara de Comercio de Bucaramanga, said that “for the Cámara it is of fundamental importance to be part of these inter-institutional alliances that generate impact and development in regions. Today it corresponds to us, from our province, where we will be part of this process contributing and supporting the scientific vocations of our students”.
Subsequently, the young promoters met with the professors of the research groups of the UIS to plan the work. Finally, the first session of the Diploma in Formative Research for Basic and Secondary Education began, as part of this program to train teachers in these training tasks, with the theme: Innovation and Creativity, by Martha Chaves.
