The Joaquín Blaya Events Center in Curacaví was filled with laughter and amazement, on September 26 of this year, where more than 120 boys and girls from pre-kindergarten to second grade from various educational institutions in the commune gathered for the exciting launch of the activity book “PichinCO in search of water”.

This event, organized by the Regional Associative Project Explora Región Metropolitana Norte, Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and innovation, led by the Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS ) and executed by the University of Chile through the Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, aimed to present the new product of the Project: “PichinCO in search of water” an activity book designed for children in transitional levels of Early Childhood Education, First and second grade, which promotes an early approach and appropriation of the environmental problems associated with the water crisis affecting the Northern Metropolitan Region.

During the day, the boys and girls embarked on an exciting adventure with PichinCO, A Spoon Duck (Spatula clypeata̶) who lived in the lagoon of Aculeo, aquifer that was declared totally dry in 2018 as a result of the water crisis that affected the town. It is for this reason that the protagonist begins a journey in search of water that takes him to various places, such as the Puangue Estuary, which is located in the commune of Curacaví, giving significance and relevance to the day. In addition, This activity had the participation of the oral storyteller, Catalina Moya Marchant, who was in charge of the storyteller of the narration.

Victor Rivera, Director of the Department of Municipal Education Administration (DAEM) of Curacaví, He highlighted the importance of carrying out activities like this in the formation of water awareness from an early age: “Our schools are making an outstanding effort in water education, and this type of activities with a playful and attractive approach delivered by the Explora Project, It helps us to significantly strengthen our awareness of the responsible use of water from the youngest children”.

Delivery of the books and implementation kit “PichinCO: In search of water”

Days after this activity, 100 teachers, previously selected to be part of this activity, received copies of the story for each of their students, a teaching didactic guide and a kit of materials for the implementation of experiences associated with storytelling. All of this, after a training session held at the facilities of the Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Chile, where learning experiences took place, addressing the scientific competencies proposed in the teaching guide.

The training was attended by Dr. Rodrigo Moreno Morales, academic of the University of Santo Tomás and Dra. Carmen Espoz Larraín, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Santo Tomás and Director of the Bahía Lomas Research Center, who also validated the scientific contents addressed in the story. The academic stressed that “Chile and the world need hands that work for the care of water and if we do not take action from everywhere, ages and grades we are lost in the future” and also added “this material is super local and has an immediate relevance that contributes to children taking ownership of the problem and understanding it quickly”

What did some educators say about PichinCO??

Marcia Arévalo Maulén, Mathematics teacher at Colegio Emprender de Lampa pointed out that “As a school we firmly believe in the urgency of raising awareness in the educational community about the use and care of water and not only at the curricular level but also at the practical level, and that’s where PichinCO helps us a lot, through its five fun and very easy to do activities.”

Ramón Campos Campos, A professor at the Star of Chile School of the Local Public Education Service of Barrancas in Pudahuel, he mentions that “I thought it was a good initiative. Participate in these types of activities, It gives us the opportunity to raise social awareness, especially in children, which is the world we were working for.”

Leslie Cristi Olavarría, Early Childhood Education Technician at the New Zealand School of Independence, He comments that “I found that all the material delivered is quite didactic and very diverse, It is an activity that manages to maintain the attention and concentration of the children. I liked to think like my students and I’m very anxious to know the ideas that this beautiful book is going to generate for them.”

On the other hand, Monserrat Arias Martínez, A preschool educator at the Félix Bulnes Hospital School added, “We work with multigrade, From Pre-K to Fourth Grade, So this type of activity contributes a lot to us because I think it is possible to implement it in a transversal way, This time it’s for younger children, But I think it could still be adapted by adding another complexity depending on the levels of the children. Another aspect I liked, It was the opportunity for the children to locate themselves spatially and close to the region where they belong, This allows them to inquire and interact with greater interest.”

Coming soon the material of “PichinCO: In search of water”, will be available on the Project’s website, seehere.

You can also watch the book launchhere.