<p> At iGEM TU Delft, we recognize the importance of outreach and education within our project. Within the outreach team, our primary focus is on education, which we believe is an essential part for an effective outreach. We consider education on synthetic biology essential for a better understanding of the rapid changes occurring globally, where numerous synthetic biology solutions can help alleviate issues related to climate change, socioeconomics, and health. Currently, terms like GMO, biofuel, and biomarkers are becoming more common in the news; however, relatively few people fully understand these terms, leading to confusion and, in some extreme cases, fear among the general public.This hinders the acceptance of those solutions to global problems based on synthetic biology. To prevent this from happening, we believe that
<p> At iGEM TU Delft, we recognize the importance of outreach and education within our project. Within the outreach team, our primary focus is on education, which we believe is an essential part for an effective outreach. We consider education on synthetic biology essential for a better understanding of the rapid changes occurring globally, where numerous synthetic biology solutions can help alleviate issues related to climate change, socioeconomics, and health. Currently, terms like GMO, biofuel, and biomarkers are becoming more common in the news; however, relatively few people fully understand these terms, leading to confusion and, in some extreme cases, fear among the general public.This hinders the acceptance of those solutions to global problems based on synthetic biology. To prevent this from happening, we believe that
educating the general population to better understand these concepts, and therefore the implications of related solutions, is crucial.
</p>
<p> To promote education in synthetic biology, we have developed various activities tailored to different age groups. We believe that one of the best ways to educate the general population is from childhood and adolescence, to avoid them becoming adults who fear synthetic biology advancements. For this, we have prepared appropriate and differentiated educational packages for each activity, as programs that work for children are not suitable for teenagers nor for adults. We have given lectures at high schools, organized games in farms, and promoted learning through our social media channels.
...
...
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
</div>
<divclass="h"id="four">
<divclass="h1">Learning Through Social Media</div>
<p> Through Instagram, our most frequently used social media platform, we have promoted science education in various ways. Not only through our posts and stories that promote iGEM and explain our project, but also through a collaboration with the Dutch science museum NEMO. This collaboration allowed us to distribute a selected few of our followers free museum ticket. Through this, they had the opportunity to continue learning by visiting the museum. The lucky winners were selected through a giveaway on an Instagram post and a cellular biology quiz in our stories, which featured 10 questions of varying difficulty levels. The winner was chosen for being the first person to correctly answer all ten questions. After announcing the winner, we also shared the correct answers, providing brief explanations for each one. For questions where the majority chose an incorrect answer, we explained why that option was incorrect and clarified the differences with the correct answer.
<p> Through Instagram, our most frequently used social media platform, we have promoted science education in various ways. Not only through our posts and stories that promote iGEM and explain our project, but also through a collaboration with the Dutch science museum NEMO. This collaboration allowed us to distribute a selected few of our followers free museum tickets. Through this, they had the opportunity to continue learning by visiting the museum. The lucky winners were selected through a giveaway on an Instagram post and a cellular biology quiz in our stories, which featured 10 questions of varying difficulty levels. The winner was chosen for being the first person to correctly answer all ten questions. After announcing the winner, we also shared the correct answers, providing brief explanations for each one. For questions where the majority chose an incorrect answer, we explained why that option was incorrect and clarified the differences with the correct answer.
<p> In June, our team attended the SynBIONL event in Wageningen. This event, aimed at fostering synthetic biology collaborations in the Netherlands, provided us with a platform to pitch our project to a panel of experts, and listen to insightful talks about various synthetic biology initiatives in the Netherlands. This was followed by an engaging networking session</p>
<p> In June, our team attended the SynBIONL event in Wageningen. This event, aimed at fostering synthetic biology collaborations in the Netherlands, provided us with a platform to pitch our project to a panel of experts, and listen to insightful talks about various synthetic biology initiatives in the Netherlands. This was followed by an engaging networking session.</p>
