From theory to action

The collective adventure of science recreation clubs

Authors

  • Miguel García-Guerrero Science Museum of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas (Mexico).
  • Viridiana Esparza-Manrique Science Museum of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas (Mexico).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.15.27173

Keywords:

science recreation, science clubs, non-formal science education, children in science, science workshops

Abstract

Science recreation, as a means of science outreach, has gained a lot of momentum over the last decades. Its greatest strength arises from the interactive essence that fosters rewarding experiences for the participants. However, this modality has lacked formal analysis to establish its fundamental characteristics and opportunities for advancement. The present work integrates the experience of more than 30 years in the development of science recreation activities with important analytical contributions, of the last years, to build a cutting-edge perspective of the field. To go further, it is articulated with the importance of the systematic work of clubs that achieve a deeper impact on the public. All this is rounded off addressing the case of the Children's Science Club, in Zacatecas, Mexico, to share learning and results of three decades of experience.

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Author Biographies

Miguel García-Guerrero, Science Museum of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas (Mexico).

Scientific communicator with a career of more than 28 years in the development of activities such as workshops, lectures, and courses. Since 2001 he has worked at the Science Museum of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas (Mexico) and coordinates the Quark Group. He is the author of five books and coordinator of another ten, all on science outreach. He belongs to level 1 of the National System of Researchers in Mexico. He was founding president of Recreación en Cadena, the Mexican Network for Science Recreation. He is the outreach director of the Mexican Society of Physics, and the elected executive director of the Network for the Popularization of Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean (RedPOP) for the 2024–2025 period.

Viridiana Esparza-Manrique, Science Museum of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas (Mexico).

She is a passionate science communicator that started her career in the field in 2005. Her work specializes in the development of science recreation workshops and the operation of science clubs. Since 2008 she has coordinated Astropatos, an astronomy club for amateurs, and since 2020 she has been the coordinator of the Children's Science Club of the Science Museum of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas (Mexico). She is co-author of three international articles on recreational science activities and co-coordinator of three books in the series «Jugar con la ciencia».

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Published

2024-03-26

How to Cite

García-Guerrero, M., & Esparza-Manrique, V. (2024). From theory to action: The collective adventure of science recreation clubs. Metode Science Studies Journal, (15). https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.15.27173
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Issue

No. 15: Volume 15 (Online first)

Section

Science anywhere and anyhow. A journey into the fascinating world of recreational science

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