The educational initiative CatMart, an original idea from Hypatia Mars, has been selected as a finalist for the 2025 Catalan Biology Society Awards (SCB Awards) in the science outreach category. This distinction recognizes projects that bring science closer to society in innovative, engaging, and transformative ways.
CatMart brings Martian exploration into Catalan classrooms through real scientific materials and hands-on activities that spark interest in STEAM subjects. It uses actual samples of “Martian” soil collected during the Hypatia I mission at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah (USA), which are distributed to schools in an educational box designed to create an immersive science learning experience.
The project’s initial phase was supported by a grant from the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI) through the Joan Oró call in 2024. This funding allowed CatMart to reach 1,000 students across 10 public schools in Catalonia, including rural areas. Thanks to new support from the Government of Catalonia through the RETECH program, CatMart is now expanding to reach up to 50 schools across the region, multiplying its educational impact and social reach.
Inclusion is a cornerstone of the project. All audiovisual materials have been adapted to catalan sign language, ensuring that deaf and hearing loss students can fully participate. This approach is a first step to makeCatMart a pioneering initiative in promoting accessible science for everyone.
Being named a finalist in the SCB 2025 Awards highlights CatMart’s role as an innovative and socially impactful project with a transformative vision.
We may reach Mars someday… but the adventure begins in the classroom.
With the support of Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació (FCRI), Generalitat de Catalunya, funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU, and in collaboration with the Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC).
