Clubes de Ciencia[1] is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 that organizes hands-on week-long workshops in STEM to kids in developing countries at no cost.[2] The instructors are PhD volunteers from top universities, such as Harvard, Princeton, MIT who organizes the workshops.[3] By combining hands-on experimental learning, on-line exercises and mentorship, Clubes de Ciencia takes a unique approach to educating the millennials in developing countries.[4] In two years, Clubes de Ciencia grew past its Mexico program, to also work in Colombia and Bolivia. Currently, it also operates in Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Spain.[5][6]

Science Clubs
Clubes de Ciencia
AbbreviationCdeC
Founded atBoston, MA
TypeNon-profit organization
Volunteers
50+
Websitewww.clubesdeciencia.org

2014

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The first edition of Science Clubs was organized in Guanajuato, Mexico, in January 2014,with the support of Universidad de Guanajuato.[7][8][9]

2017

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In 2017, Science Clubs expanded to three new countries: Paraguay, Peru and Brazil [1]

The first edition of the Brazilian Chapter (Clubes de Ciência Brasil) was held at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, in Belo Horizonte, in July 2017. Four clubs in the areas of epidemiology, stem cells and gene editing, immunology and entrepreneurship were organized by researchers from top Universities from the US and Brazil, including Harvard, Northeastern and UFMG for 80 students from six different states of the country.[10]

Prizes and awards

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On April 15, 2015, the Latin American Science Education Network (now Science Clubs International) was among the winners of the MIT "IDEAS" Global Challenge Awards.[11]

Also in 2015, Mohammed Mostajo-Radji, as Executive Director of Clubes de Ciencia Bolivia was awarded the "Person of the Year" award by the Bolivian newspaper El Deber[12] and the Franz Tamayo Medal by the Senate of Bolivia.[13]

In 2016, Hugo Arellano-Santoyo and Clubes de Ciencia were awarded with the Dean's Community Service Award from the Harvard Medical School. The prize is awarded "to recognize individuals whose dedication and commitment to community service have made a positive impact on the local, national, or international community".[14][15]

In 2016, Maier Avendano, Executive Director of Clubes de Ciencia Colombia was named among the "Latino 30 under 30" by the El Mundo Boston.[16][17] Mohammed Mostajo-Radji and the team of Clubes de Ciencia Bolivia received this award in 2017. Since its first version in 2015, 722 volunteer scientists living abroad or in Colombia have collaborated to create 364 clubs with the participation of 9,295 students. We describe elements of the SCC program that lead to a scalable and reproducible outcome to engage science diasporas in STEAM education in this scientific paper published in Frontiers: [18]

Additionally in 2016, Clubes de Ciencia Bolivia was awarded the Youth Peace Prize by the Government of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.[19]

In 2018, Clubes de Ciencia Bolivia received the Melchor Pinto Parada award from the Government of Santa Cruz.[20] This is the maximum award granted by this institution. Also in 2018, Omar Gandarilla, as Operations Director of Clubes de Ciencia Bolivia received the "Diversity in STEM" award from MiniPCR.

Partners

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The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University,[21] the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, COMEXUS and the Fundación México en Harvard University are among the key sponsors of the project.[22][23]

Endorsements

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Clubes de Ciencia has been endorsed by a number of academics and celebrities, including 2004 Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek; Margot Gill, Dean of International Affairs at Harvard University and Beakman.

References

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  1. ^ "Clubes de Ciencia Latin America – Clubes de Ciencia Latin America". www.clubesdeciencia.org. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  2. ^ "Serán UG y CIMAT sedes de los Clubes de Ciencia" (in European Spanish). 26 July 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Premia Harvard a Clubes de Ciencia México". Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  4. ^ Mecca. "Clubes-de-ciencias .: Fundación Harvard en México :". fundacionharvard.org. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Niños de colegios públicos construyeron microscopios de origami". 23 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  6. ^ ATB Red Nacional (5 January 2016), Clubes de Ciencia Bolivia estimulan a jóvenes a seguir carreras de ciencia y tecnología, retrieved 24 June 2016
  7. ^ ZonaFrancaMX (11 June 2014), El Club de Ciencias México se realizará en Guanajuato y Ensenada, retrieved 23 June 2016
  8. ^ "Investigadores imparten talleres en Clubes de Ciencia en Guanajuato" (in Spanish). 16 January 2014. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Spreading the Science". Harvard University – The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Brasileiros de Harvard criam clube para ensinar ciência a jovens". revistagalileu.globo.com. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  11. ^ Matheson, Rob (16 April 2015). ""IDEAS" for social change". MIT News Office.
  12. ^ "El Deber homenajeo a 11 personajes del ano". eldeber.com.bo. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Senado otorga maximas condecoraciones a personalidades e instituciones destacadas". senado.gob.bo. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Dean's Community Service Award". Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  15. ^ "Hugo Arellano-Santoro and Clubes de Ciencia honored with the HMS Dean's Community Service Award". drclas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  16. ^ "Maier Avendaño - Latino 30 Under 30". YouTube.
  17. ^ "Latino 30 Under 30".
  18. ^ Avendano-Uribe, Bryann E.; Lombana-Bermudez, Andres; Flórez, Laura V.; Chaparro, Elisa; Hernandez-Morales, Adriana Carolina; Archbold, Jorge; Buitrago-Casas, Juan Camilo; Porras, Ana Maria (2022). "Engaging Scientific Diasporas in STEAM Education: The Case of Science Clubs Colombia". Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics. 7. doi:10.3389/frma.2022.898167. PMC 9274008. PMID 35837664.
  19. ^ Redacción El Deber (20 December 2016). "Distinguen a 24 jóvenes sobresalientes".
  20. ^ Avalos, Beatriz. "Legisladores condecoran a un colegio, una maestra y un científico". El Deber.
  21. ^ "Science Clubs Latin America Initiative". mcb.harvard.edu. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  22. ^ "As an instructor with Clubes de Ciencia, KGI PhD student Paola Hernandez hopes to get Mexican students thinking about a career in science and entrepreneurship". www.kgi.edu. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  23. ^ "Conectados al Sur – Breakfast of Ideas". drclas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 24 June 2016.