The team from the Escola Pia de Balmes de Barcelona has been the winner of the fifth edition of  ‘‘Reimagine Science’‘, a programme promoted by Novartis, the Barcelona Science Park and Big Van Ciencia with the aim of promoting STEM careers and bringing biomedical research to compulsory and upper secondary school students in a fun and entertaining way. In the initiative -which this year focused on neurological diseases- more than 2,000 students from all over Catalonia have expressed their knowledge and creativity in videos with theatre performances, humorous shorts, rap, trips to the future or journalistic reports.

In this edition’s winning video, “2100: The fight against screen diseases,” five students from the Escola Pia de Balmes in Barcelona travel to the future as members of a research group to study the case of Neuroscreen, a new disease that affects the nervous system of adolescents who abuse the use of screens. Simulating a television report, the team explains how, through the success of clinical trials, they have been able to obtain an effective therapy.

The work has stood out among the nearly 90 projects presented and the 8 finalists that reached the gala final, which took place this Monday at the auditorium of the Barcelona Science Park. The event, which was also streamed live to more than 2,000 students,, featured speeches by Josefa Beltrán Bertomeu, secretary for Educational Improvement of the Ministry of Education and Vocation Training of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and Sandra García Armesto, director of the Health Quality and Assessment Agency of Catalonia (AQuAS).

The gala was also attended by representatives of the organising entities: Jesús Ponce, president of Novartis Spain, and Maria Terrades, director of the Barcelona Science Park.

Representatives of institutions and the organizing entities. Photo: Novartis.

Regarding the initiative, Ponce said: “At Novartis, we believe that the future of science is built on the present, inspiring new generations to take part. This initiative embodies our vision of a world where creativity and scientific knowledge come together to solve the great challenges in medicine. The good reception that ‘Reimagine Science’ has received since it was first held half a decade ago and the enormous talent of young people reaffirm our commitment to our mission to reimagine medicine and contribute to defining the health of tomorrow”.

Accordin to Terrades: “Reimagine Science, a programme that fuses scientific knowledge with artistic expression, exemplifies how creativity is a powerful tool to bring science to new generations. One of the commitments of the Barcelona Science Park is to inspire interest in scientific careers and encourage critical thinking among young people; by doing so, we are laying the foundations for the scientists of the future. This programme, which has already involved more than 7,000 students in its 5 editions, not only helps to awaken interest in STEM disciplines, but also demonstrates students’ talent and innovative potential.”

A photo and video kit to further promote the winners’ scientific creativity

One of the main purposes of the initiative is to foster the link between young people and science, an approach also aligned with the objective of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities to promote STEM careers among future generations.

What do the trials consist of? What are their phases? Which professionals participate? Why is patient participation important? What challenges do nervous system diseases pose to the people who live with them? How can clinical trials help to solve them? These and other questions have been answered through the projects developed by the students, who have captured their knowledge in videos of theatrical performances, humorous short films, raps, trips to the future or journalistic reports.

To inspire students before they submitted their applications, Big Van Science brought the initiative to a total of 1,817 students, offering science monologue shows to show them first-hand how the link between science and creativity can be built.

In selecting the winning project, the members of the jury took the following criteria into account: the scientific or technological content, the ability to connect with the audience and, finally, the charisma of the students and their stage presence. In recognition of their creativity, each member of the winning team will receive a kit of photography and video accessories, a set of Big Van Science books for their school’s library, a Big Van Science book for each participant and a guided tour of the facilities of the Barcelona Science Park to continue awakening interest in scientific careers.

Family photo from the final gala of ‘Reimagine Science’. Image: PCB.

Promoting the scientific knowledge of the teaching community

The initiative has been running for five years in Catalonia thanks to the positive reception from schools, which in many cases have incorporated this activity into the curricula of subjects related to biomedicine and science.

But beyond that, ‘Reimagine Science’ also promotes the continuous training of teachers, key figures in encouraging scientific careers among students. Therefore, the programme offers faculty training materials on clinical trials, neuroscience, e-learning tools and performing arts. All of this with the aim of enriching the students’ knowledge of scientific concepts by capturing them in a video in the most creative and disruptive way possible.