FEnanoMENOS
FEnanoMENOS is a competition for secondary school students in which they must carry out projects based on the study of a phenomenon related to nanoscience from start to finish. Two categories are established depending on the educational field of the participants: Compulsory Secondary Education and Special Education. Participation will take place in groups with a maximum of 6 participants, who, led by a teacher, will have to select a property offered by nanoscience and present in some everyday element of our society, to explain it in an interactive way through a sketch, experience or model.
The 15 projects that qualify for the final phase will be presented at the Aragon Nanoscience Fair for schoolchildren.
IX Nanoscience Fair for schoolchildren in Aragon, FEnanoMENOS
The 9th edition of “FEnanoMENOS” will involve 2,000 secondary and special education schoolchildren
A new edition of “FEnanoMENOS” kicks off! The ninth edition of the Nanoscience Fair for Schoolchildren is being held once again this year with the main objective of getting different students in Spain to develop experimental research projects based on the scientific method and on a phenomenon linked to nanoscience. On this occasion, it is expected to have an impact on around 2,000 schoolchildren during the development of the project and 500 students on the day of the final fair, which will take place in May 2024.
This is one of the fairs specialising in nanoscience with the longest tradition in Spain. For the third consecutive year, it is extending its scope beyond Aragon, incorporating the participation of schools from other autonomous communities. In addition, a virtual fair will be held through an interactive image showing the stands of the finalist groups. The visitor, on standing in each of them, will activate a video in which the teams will explain their project in the same way as they will do in the on-site event.
The initiative, aimed at young people in Secondary and Special Education, is organised by the Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), a joint institute of the CSIC and the University of Zaragoza, and is funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) – Ministry of Science and Innovation.
NEWS
This year, up to four new features have been introduced. On the one hand, “FEnanoMENOS THINK TANK” will be set up, a laboratory for the co-creation of ideas whose function is to be a centre for intellectual reflection on issues related to nanoscience. On the other hand, the “FEnanoHack” will be organised, a hackathon in the form of a working day in which the different schools of the finalist groups will take part.
Also, taking advantage of the fact that this is the ninth edition, and given that 9 is the “nano number” par excellence, Nanotechnology Day will be celebrated, with a new special action both in person and online for this day (9 October) consisting of 2 workshops and the “Nanotalent Show”.
The latest novelty lies in the design and preparation of 10 teaching sheets adapted to Secondary and Special Education that explain the properties of nanomaterials. They include activities and dynamics that allow class discussion on the future of nanoscience, thus providing ideas for the implementation of projects.
The “FEnanoRANKING”, a tool in which the finalists will have to solve four challenges related to nanoscience and its applications, will remain the same as last year’s edition. The “From FEnanoMENO to FEnanoMENO” initiative will also be maintained.
FEnanoMENO”, a sponsorship and collaboration programme between the groups in both categories in which they merge to help each other.
In addition, there will once again be a joint day of coaching in communication with the finalists of the “Alimentando Vocaciones” project of the Agri-Food Institute of Aragon (IA2). And the winners of the two categories will participate in the V Nanotechnology Gala, organised by the SAMCA Nanotechnology Chair of the University of Zaragoza.
SCOPE
It is estimated that “FEnanoMENOS IX” will generate an impact of approximately 2,000 schoolchildren (around 30 groups from different schools in Aragon and 20 groups from the rest of Spain). In addition, it is estimated that around 500 students will participate in the final fair in person, while around a thousand will take part in the online mode. It will also involve five nanomentoras, top-level INMA researchers who will carry out the evaluation of the findings presented by the participating teams.
The reach will increase thanks to the sending of informative newsletters, publications on social networks, appearance on websites and presence at outreach events such as Researchers’ Night, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science or Nanotechnology Day.
VIII Nanoscience Fair for schoolchildren in Aragon, FEnanoMENOS
The eighth edition of “FEnanoMENOS” has involved around 2,000 secondary and special education students.
– Considered one of the fairs specialising in nanoscience with the greatest tradition and impact in Spain in recent years, it allows students to develop experimental research projects based on the scientific method.
– Funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) – Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA, CSIC-Unizar), this edition combines the usual on-site fair with another in virtual format.
– Among the great novelties this year, the sponsorship and collaboration programme “De FEnanoMENO a FEnanoMENO” (From FEnanoMENO to FEnanoMENO) and the Fenano-living day in the schools of the finalist groups stand out.
Zaragoza, 18 October 2022. The eighth edition of one of the most traditional nanoscience fairs in the country is underway! For yet another year, a new edition of “FEnanoMENOS” is here, once again extending its scope of action beyond Aragon, allowing students from Spain to develop experimental research projects based on the scientific method and on a phenomenon linked to nanoscience. On this occasion, the project is expected to have an impact on around 2,000 schoolchildren in 50 groups from different educational centres.
The activity, aimed at young people in secondary and special education, is funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) – Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon (INMA, CSIC-Unizar). In this edition, in addition to the usual face-to-face format, the fair will also be open to the virtual modality in order to disseminate the work generated by the participants.
Among the improvements and innovations introduced, the “From FEnanoMENO to FEnanoMENO” initiative, a sponsorship and collaboration programme between the groups in the two categories in which a finalist team from Special Education is linked to one from Secondary Education and helps each other, is particularly noteworthy. In addition, on the occasion of the celebration of the Festival of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology “10alamenos9”, a day of FEnano-
day, a day of work in the different schools of the finalist groups in which a team challenge will be launched through an online platform.
On the other hand, it is proposed that the winning teams in each category will visit an INMA laboratory where they can see first-hand what real research is like in a project with which they can establish similarities.
The way it works is the same as in previous editions. The students are grouped into groups with a maximum of 6 participants and work on developing a phenomenon related to nanoscience from scratch. To do this, each team will choose a quality offered by this branch of science to society, explain it in an original way through a sketch or model and, at the end of the research work, will look for a new possible application of the selected phenomenon in everyday life. For the development and presentation of their project, they will have to answer three basic questions:
– What phenomenon linked to nanoscience are you going to deal with?
– What are the advantages of the project presented?
– What applications does it have in our daily lives?
After the first qualifying phase, the final phase will take place, where the 15 groups selected by the jury will begin to develop their projects. The schoolchildren carry out their research work, the initiative “from FEnanoMENO to FEnanoMENO” is launched, and both the FEnano day of coexistence between schools and the scientific communication consultancy will be held with the participants of the “Feeding Vocations” project. Afterwards, it will be the turn of the fair, where the finalists will exhibit their work and the winners of each category will be announced.
SCOPE
It is estimated that “FEnanoMENOS VIII” will have an impact on approximately 2,000 schoolchildren (around 30 groups from different schools in Aragon and 20 groups from the rest of Spain). In addition, it is estimated that around 300 students will participate directly in the Nanoscience Fair in person, while around a thousand will participate online. A total of five nanomentors will also be involved. It is also expected to achieve around 15,000 interactions on social networks and visualisations of the project on the different platforms. Finally, by participating in events such as Researchers’ Night, 11F or NanoDay, the aim is to reach at least 1,000 more people.
VII Nanoscience Fair for schoolchildren in Aragon, FEnanoMENOS
The seventh edition of FEnanoMENOS is launched at national level
bring participants closer to nanoscience, introducing them to the principles of this unknown and emerging discipline and trying to encourage their vocation for science and innovation by making them feel like real researchers for a few days. FenanoMENOS is also an initiative that seeks to promote values such as teamwork, cooperation and creativity.
In addition, as a novelty this year, participation is open to all secondary and special education students who send a video presentation of their project on a phenomenon related to nanoscience that is or could be present in some everyday element of our society before 4 March. In addition, all those who need advice for the creation of both the video and the idea itself must register before 4 February.
A total of 15 groups (in the two categories) will be selected from among all the participants to take part in the final phase. These finalists will be announced on Friday 11 March and will have the figure of the nanomentor, a researcher with experience in nanoscience research and dissemination who will sponsor the group and guide, advise and support them during their project.
In addition to the figure of the nano-mentor in the development of the project, all participants will have technical advice from an external consultancy with extensive experience in the management of similar projects with schoolchildren. This technical advice will ensure that all phases of the project are adapted to the level of the participants, making the project viable and simple for all those involved. New for this year’s edition will be the collaboration of several professionals who will advise the participants to ensure that their presentation to the jury is a success by giving them tools and tips for public speaking.
The winners will be announced at the final where the 15 finalist groups will present their projects at the 7th Aragon Nanoscience Fair for Schoolchildren, which will take place in May and where a prize of €300 in school material will be awarded to the winning school in each category and another prize of €100 in school material for the group that comes second, as well as a special prize for the video that achieves the greatest impact on social networks.
VI Nanoscience Fair for schoolchildren in Aragon
FEnanoMENOS, VI edition
Currently, the 15 finalist projects have already been selected for the final gala that will take place during the first fortnight of May.
Finalist projects. https://www.fenanomenos.com/participantes2021/.
A competition for Aragonese schoolchildren in which they must carry out projects based on the study of a phenomenon linked to nanoscience from start to finish.
Two categories are established according to the educational field of the participants: Compulsory Secondary Education and Special Education.
Participation will take place in groups with a maximum of 6 participants, who, led by a teacher, will have to select a property offered by nanoscience and present in some everyday element of our society, to explain it in an interactive way through a sketch, experience or model.
The 15 projects that qualify for the final phase will be presented at the 6th Nanoscience Fair for schoolchildren in Aragon.
IV and V editions of the Nanoscience Fair for schoolchildren in Aragon, FEnanoMENOS
FeNANOmenos, IV y V edición.
El proyecto contó con la cofinanciación de la Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología, FECYT.
Referencia: FECYT (FCT-18-13121).
Press releases
Events
FEnanoMENOS celebrates Nanotechnology Day at Los Porches del Audiorama, 9th Oct. 2023
VIII edition of the FEnanoMENOS school fair, 27th April 2023
The Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón celebrates the sixth edition of the school nanoscience fair FEnanoMENOS, 3 junio 2021
VII edition of FEnanMENOS, 26th May 2022
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