School Programs Offered
Educational programs are available for schoolchildren of all ages, for varying lengths of time. They are carried out in a welcoming environment equipped for scientific experiments, and based on the model of “learning by doing”. All activities are conducted in laboratories and include field trips in order to maximize the experience and help the students gain specific skills.
Workshop “I observe and discover”
This program is aimed at preschoolers. A variety of activities are offered that encourage children to relate to their surroundings through play. They become familiar with live flora and fauna as well as natural and man-made materials. Using all their senses to explore, manipulate and observe gives children an introductory scientific teaching and leads to a series of attitudes and practical skills involving everything that inhabits the water (rivers, lakes and the sea) or is found on the coasts and beaches.
Workshop “I observe and discover”
Workshop “Little Marine Researchers”
Aimed at primary school children. The workshop offers small-scale ecological experiments to direct children in a series of analyses through hands-on activities. They discover who lives in the sand (mollusks, worms, crustaceans and sea turtle eggs), what sandy habitats are and how they change during the year, as well as how ecosystems and food chains are organized. With the use of a stereomicroscope, both the smaller shapes and the more complex structures of mineral and organogenous sands are analyzed. The game “Is our beach a dirty thing?” invites children to analyze the beached materials, sorting them by type and by degree of biodegradability. The problem of plastic bags in the sea is highlighted. They are often eaten by sea turtles who, not having great eyesight, confuse plastic with one of their favorite foods… jellyfish.
Workshop “Little Marine Researchers”
“Kids and Science” Workshop
Designed for middle schools. The activities included encourage kids to observe and analyze. They are taught to collect data, and to take measurements and samples. In short, they are taught the correct way to do scientific analysis. A study is carried out of Posidonia oceanica (banquettes, aegagropila, rhizomes and leaves) which is found on the beach throughout the seasons. We focus on the role Posidonia oceanica plays in protecting the coastline from erosion. Thanks to the experiments conducted, the students identify the causes that alter environmental and ecological mechanisms as a result of unsustainable anthropogenic behavior.
“Young Marine Scientists” Workshop
Designed for secondary-school students. The students are guided in the correct scientific methodology aimed at the reconstruction of complex ecosystems like the sea and the coast. They conduct experiments on marine organisms such as induced fertilization in sea urchins and observe stages of larval development. They learn to apply histomorphology techniques to observe cellular structures and learn about microalgae cultivation and its use as a food in aquaculture.
“Young Marine Scientists” Workshop
“A Special Day” Workshop
This workshop is dedicated to social centers and organizations in Oristano and the province. Demands will be met of associations, rehabilitation centers, foster homes and companies who wish to spend a day learning about the research center. The workshop will introduce the participants to the activities that take place at the center and to the people who work there.
Summer school
The summer school at IMC is aimed at promoting youth based on merit, and provides students with courses and training activities designed for the acquisition of technical scientific expertise. The goal is to facilitate possible future studies in science. The summer school involves researchers from the institution as well as the collaboration of professors and highly qualified scientific scholars.