ScienzAperta, an outreach week about Earth Science at INGV

Abstract

Scientific exhibitions, hands-on laboratories for kids, meetings and seminars with researchers, guided tours to laboratories are the ingredients for the outreach week "ScienzAperta" at Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV). ScienzAperta, the Open Science Week, responds to the needs and the request of the society for more information on issues regarding our Planet. The common goal is to engage INGV researchers to be involved in a correct, straightforward and efficient communication to public about research and technological innovations they perform. In a world that request citizens to be more informed, aware and able to make crucial decisions about their own health and safety, the knowledge is crucial to handle doubts and to know how to choose with consciousness. Since 2011, ScienzAperta held once per year during spring; several INGV headquaters over the Italian territory open their doors to public. The goal is to help raise awareness about earth sciences, and research activities at INGV, as well as intrigue, interest, and stimulate audiences of all ages. Researchers and technicians involved in outreach activities conceive scientific programs to present research as the heritage of all. Some activities were organized in collaboration with other institutions and with transdisciplinary approaches. For example in 2011 edition, in collaboration with Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca per gli Alimenti (INRAN), geophysics and nutrition sciences were linked through geodynamic evolution and diet evolution of the Mediterranean. In all the past three editions music-based initiatives were designed to attract young people as well as generic public, such as the performances "seismic waves, sound waves, from earthquake to music", "musical journey of Italian earthquakes", "waves, sympathy and music", "landscapes, territory and wines". The ScienzAperta programs were designed giving special attention to pupils and teachers. Hand-on laboratories for kids on earthquakes, volcanoes, and also on INGV researches in Antarctica were organized, and achieved great participation and appreciation. Analysis of questionnaires distributed among adult visitors and children during an Open Saturday in 2013 in Rome provided hints to improve the outreach event format. Acquired pieces of information were perceived as useful to get more in depth with the topics by mostly all adult visitors; nothing was perceived as not clear, appreciation comments came as well as invitations to repeat such events more frequently; children perceived the games as very interesting, very useful and well organized, but in some cases the notions not so easy to be understood.