Elhuyar Zientzia Azoka 2023 ended with the award ceremony at the Arenal de Bilbao. The event, held at 13:30 a.m., was presented by Arnaitz Fernández Elías and Elene Barrutia Loroño. The sponsors of Elhuyar Zientzia Azoka and members of Elhuyar have been responsible for awarding awards for 8 categories.
The projects awarded were as follows:

• The “Mendikateak eraikiz” project of the Arratia BHI teaching centre has been awarded with the opportunity to participate in the “Science in Action” fair. The prize was awarded to them by Danel Solabarrieta Arrizabalaga, head of Elhuyar Zientzia Azoka.
• The project “Ba al dakite kontatzen landareek?” of the CF Somorface school in Muskiz has been awarded the opportunity to participate in the exhibition “Galiciencia”. The prize was awarded by María Rubio Zabala, head of Projects and Social Innovation of the Kutxa Foundation.
• The project “Butroetxe” of the ikastola Lauro de Loiu has been awarded with the opportunity to go to the Open Science fair in Cambre, Galicia.The prize was awarded by Inmaculada Arostegui Madariaga, vice-rector of the Research Area of the University of the Basque Country.
• The project “Marterako bidaiariak” of the Lauro de Loiu teaching centre has been awarded with the opportunity to participate in the Science Fair of Granada. The prize was awarded by Arola Urdangarin Ferreira, director of the Eurorregión Nueva Aquitaine Euskadi Navarra.
• The project “Aurrezpen-sistema komunitoarioa kiroldegietan” of the San Fidel Gernika teaching centre has been awarded the opportunity to attend the “Science in the Street” fair in Galicia. The award was given by Isabel Sarrioandia Ibarra, head of the Business Promotion Service of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
• The project “Ekonomia zirkularra erabiliz, moluskoen oskolekin egindako material berria” of the ikastola of Amoberieta-Etxano was awarded the opportunity to attend the Expo-recerca Fair of Catalonia. The prize was awarded by Amaia Agirre Pinedo, director of Learning and Educational Innovation of the Basque Government.
• The project “Resuscitation Doll” of the teaching center “IES Rosalía de Castro” in A Coruña has been awarded the opportunity to attend the fair “Mostra Nacional de Ciencia Portuguesa” in Portugal. The prize was awarded by Koldo Narbaiza Olaskoaga, Councilor of the Euskera and Education Area of the City of Bilbao.
• The project “Mikroplastikoen eragina indaba landareen hazkuntzan” of the ikastola Lauro de Loiu was awarded the opportunity to attend the fair “I giovani e le scienze” of Italy. The prize has been awarded by Jon Abril Olaetxea, general coordinator of Elhuyar.

To reward the work carried out, the remaining 18 teams from the various categories received a mention from Elhuyar Zientzia Azoka and visits to research centers belonging to the network.

Elhuyar Zientzia Azoka

Elhuyar Zientzia Azoka was held for three days, from 2 to 4 June, in the Arenal de Bilbao. It has exposed more than 200 projects and involved 700 young people from 60 schools. Besides young people from the educational centers of the Basque Country, winners of other fairs from both the Spanish and international scope have also participated: in total, 7 teams have attended.

The aim of Elhuyar Zientzia Azoka is to promote a commitment to science among young people, as well as to promote and disseminate scientific culture, not only at this fair held in Arenal, but also throughout the year. This year 1,450 young people (52 girls, 45% boys and 3% non-binary) and 79 schools participated. Besides young students, research centers and universities in the Basque Country also participate in the fair. It is also necessary to highlight the commitment of all of them to this project, a commitment that they renew year after year: thus, at the beginning of the school year, 244 researchers (among them, 138 women) from the university and technology centers offered to work with students throughout the course and evaluate the work after completion.

The Zientzia Azoka initiative, organised by Elhuyar, has the collaboration of the Department of Education of the Basque Government, the Euroregion, the FECYT (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities), the Kutxa Foundation, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the Bilbao City Council.