Aquona and its foundation, the Aquae Foundation, have held this morning the webinar 'a mirror in which to look at yourself', aimed at students, their colleagues and teachers who participate in the Aquae STEM program, an initiative aimed at increasing scientific and Technological in the students of 2º to 6º of Primary.

More than 1,400 girls and boys have participated in this online event where they have been able to learn about Ana Vivar's professional experience. With a degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Valladolid and a PhD from the University of Salamanca, an institution where she is also a teacher, this STEM professional living in Zamora is a pioneer in her field. "30 years ago we launched the first promotion of Food Science and Technology and, together, we made this new discipline grow and improve," Ana Vivar said this morning.

The investigation of new ranges of foods for vegans or vegetarians and all the phases they go through before being marketed, such as the analysis of their composition and nutrients, microbiological or sensory; that is, the taste and smell they have has been one of the topics of this webinar.

In addition, some widespread popular fallacy has been dismantled: “Sugar or salt are not bad; no food is good or bad in itself, it all depends on the consumption we make of them ", stated Ana Vivar, inviting the little ones to make a moderate consumption of products rich in fat and a daily consumption of fruits or vegetables.

Of all the branches that she develops from her professional field, Vivar has admitted that she finds it “more fun” to teach and has assured that “STEM gives us the opportunity to be creative; they have a point of ingenuity and invites us to be curious to be able to respond ”to the challenges that arise.

However, for her, the most important thing is to work as a team. "The team makes us great and makes us move forward, it doesn't matter that what you know how to do is small or big because it will always be useful." For this reason, she has motivated girls and boys to let themselves go because “all disciplines end up leading us to things that we really like”. To girls, in particular, she has sent the message of not "trying to be perfect in everything" because "doing one thing well is of great value." "The pandemic has taught us that all trades have been important when they have been needed," stressed Ana Vivar.

These messages have been very well received by some of the schools that have connected to the session. Carmen Conde, teacher at the San José de Zamora school and coordinator of Aquae STEM in the center, stressed that "all these initiatives that show female references and that promote student learning are very positive" and has emphasized the "interest" that the experience of Ana Vivar has awakened him.

The one of this Castilian and Leonese is part of the cycle of monthly webinars that intend to connect all the educational centers that have joined Aquae STEM.

In Castilla-La Mancha, the schools participating in Aquae STEM are Don Quijote, Miguel De Cervantes, Pérez Molina y Ferroviario, from Ciudad Real and the Diocesan School from Albacete. In Castilla y León, they are the San José de Zamora, City of Buenos Aires and Tello Téllez de Meneses schools in Palencia, CRA Cerecedo in León, a city in which CEIP Gumersindo Azcárate has also joined the program this year.