1. educaciencias >> 1 ARGENTINA 2009 Intel ISEF Educators Academy

2. educaciencias >> 2 TEAM MEMBERS Maria Marta SCIARROTTA National Science Fairs Director Advisor to Miniter of Education National Coordinator of the Program “Scientists go to School” Sandra MARTINEZ General Director of Science and Technology Secretary of Development, Science, Technology and Public Management Province of Santiago del Estero Horacio TIGNANELLI Natural Sciences Education Specialist Argentine Ministry of Education Author of several Science Education books Mariana IRIBARNE Corporate Affairs Manager Intel Argentina

3. educaciencias >> 3 Education Overview Population: 40 million Federal country with 24 Provinces - Each province has responsibility for the administration and supervision of all the educational services through its own Ministry of Education. Schooling is compulsory from ages 5 to 17 Math standards are the same in all high schools Science standards depend on the selected orientation InitialPrimaryHigh School Total Schools (in ‘000) 6.522.217.640.1 Students (in ‘000) 1,3644,6453,4649,475 Source: Ministerio de Educación. DiNIECE. Relevamiento Anual 2007.

4. educaciencias >> 4 Science Fairs Organized in Argentina since 1967. Participated at Intel ISEF since 2001. National Fair Puerto Madryn 2008 with 250 projects evaluated by an academic jury of specialists. Selected from the 24 provincial Fairs with 600 projects The different science fairs are supported with funds from local, regional and national government agencies. Our goal is to improve the processes of experimentation and research in our projects. 2009: Science Fairs become a curricular activity. Program transferred from Ministry of Science to Ministry of Education

5. educaciencias >> 5 Science Fairs Quality of projects needs improvement Up to now Science Fairs have been an extra-curricular activity Tendency of teachers and evaluators to promote social science projects Most of the projects involve research but not experimentation Scarce resources for organisation of provincial fairs Lack of teacher knowledge in preparation of science projects The challenges :

6. educaciencias >> 6 Action Plan Improve the academic quality of the science and technology projects within the classroom Promote interaction between teachers, students and researchers. Establish courses to increase the ability of the advisor in developing experimental methods. Promote the use of scientific and technology experimentation in the schools. Provide incentives for children to continue studies of sciences and mathematics

7. educaciencias >> 7 Scientists go to the Schools Consists in the partnering of a scientist and a teacher to jointly develop a science experimentation project with students. Objectives Increase teachers knowledge of science and mathematics projects so that they can sparkle student’s interest in experimentation. Stimulate interest for scientific and mathematics Inclusion of science projects as a curricular requirement. Break down myth from students and teachers on the process of experimentation and generation of knowledge. Provide inventives for the formation of future scientists Implementation Launched in 2008 In 2009: Collaboration at 2400 schools in the 24 provinces of Argentina between national scientists and teachers.