The Catalan Association for Science Communication (ACCC) awarded an honourable mention to the CatMart project at the fifth edition of its Science Outreach Awards. The jury highlighted that it offers children a unique scientific experience, while also integrating a gender perspective and taking accessibility into account to promote diverse and inclusive Science.
CatMart, which has reached more than sixty schools across Catalonia, consists of kits containing “Martian” sand collected during the Hypatia I and II missions, along with everything needed to analyse it in the classroom. The aim is for students to investigate whether there could be life on Mars, guided by audiovisual material that is adapted to Catalan Sign Language.
The project was launched in 2023 as a pilot activity at Escola Marinada in El Masnou, and more than 6,400 students from public schools across Catalonia have already taken part, including rural schools.
Dr Laia Ribas, an analogue astronaut from Hypatia I and a researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), is the creator of the project, which aims to encourage scientific vocations, especially among girls.The project was carried out in collaboration with the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) and with funding from the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI), the Government of Catalonia, and the European Union (Next Generation EU).