Education

Science popularization: Fertilizers and SDGs

Sustainable development is one of the basic concepts of development in the world today. In order to better respond to this concept, we believe that we should strengthen the education of children to enhance their awareness of sustainable development and environmental protection, as well as their understanding of the significance behind them. At the same time, with the rapid development of science and technology, people's understanding of agriculture, which is the cornerstone of social development, has gradually faded, and the dissemination of knowledge in this area is indispensable. Therefore, on September 17, 2023 - National Science Popularization Day, we collaborated with a government agency, Kangjian Community in Shanghai, to launch a meaningful science education campaign with the theme of "Fertilizer and Sustainable Development". The audience of this activity was 7-12 years old children who voluntarily signed up for the class.


To begin with, we introduced the topic of fertilizers by focusing on the growth needs of plants. We listed the types of fertilizers and their use to the children, and designed a quiz to teach them how to identify the signs of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium deficiency in plants. In order to enliven the atmosphere and motivate all the students to participate, we set up prizes that fit the theme after the quiz - blind boxes of canned crops - to help them better and more intuitively understand crop development and planting after the class. We then briefly introduced our Bio-Phosphorus Fertilizer program, which leads to sustainability and environmental protection. Lastly, We explained the meaning of sustainable development and the 17 goals, and in order for them to better understand and realize their importance, we asked them to envision the future of the planet and to provide small contributions that they can make to the environment and to sustainable development on a daily basis.

Sustainable development is one of the basic concepts of development in the world today. In order to better respond to this concept, we believe that we should strengthen the education of children to enhance their awareness of sustainable development and environmental protection, as well as their understanding of the significance behind them. At the same time, with the rapid development of science and technology, people's understanding of agriculture, which is the cornerstone of social development, has gradually faded, and the dissemination of knowledge in this area is indispensable. Therefore, on September 17, 2023 - National Science Popularization Day, we collaborated with a government agency, Kangjian Community in Shanghai, to launch a meaningful science education campaign with the theme of "Fertilizer and Sustainable Development". The audience of this activity was 7-12 years old children who voluntarily signed up for the class.

The whole process went on with unexpected success, and the children participated in the class actively and enthusiastically without even needing to intentionally drive the atmosphere. We were amazed by their creativity and ingenuity, each with a love of science and the environment. After this educational activity, we also clearly realized that it is not enough to only promote science to children. Therefore, we are targeting high school students for our next educational program, which will continue to be centered on the theme of sustainable development, but since high school students have some basic knowledge, we decided to add the promotion of synthetic biology to our next presentation.

Targeted education for high school students: Synthetic Biology and SDGs

Our presentation was bilingual and we also made a clear and concise PowerPoint to improve both students and teachers understanding. First, we provided a general introduction about the background of the iGEM competition and the field of synthetic biology. In addition to that, we listed the limitations as well as the disadvantages of traditional phosphate fertilizers, and the potential environmental problems caused by them, thus extending our design concept and original intention of this project and providing a detailed explanation. Of course, the focus of this presentation was the relationship between this project - BioSmart Phosphate Fertilizer and the SDGs. The connection to SDG 2-Zero Hunger was emphasized, and if bio-smart fertilizers like our project are given to farmers and widely used, then our product will contribute to the goals of eradicating hunger, a certain level of poverty, and thus ensuring the well-being of people of all ages. Our smart fertilizer project helps to increase the yield and quality of crops, which in turn increases the food supply. As a result, the crops grow stronger and are able to satisfy the food needs of more people. At the end of the meeting, we provided the contact details of the team members to ensure that the students could be contacted if they had any questions.


Crucially, our educational initiative did not conclude with the presentation. We facilitated meaningful engagement through a feedback loop. Return visits and targeted surveys provided valuable insights into the students' perceptions. Their newfound understanding of traditional fertilizers' limitations and their enthusiasm for our project underscored the success of our approach. Moreover, their interest in the practical implementation of our project exemplified the real-world impact of our educational outreach, and many students showed great enthusiasm for synthetic biology and IGEM competitions and would like to participate in the future.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, we embraced the constructive criticism received. Students voiced concerns about the rushed pace of the presentation and the limited interaction. This feedback became a catalyst for our team's growth. We gleaned essential lessons, understanding the need for well-paced, interactive sessions. Integrating real-life examples and interactive elements became integral components of our future educational initiatives.

Posters displayed in the school

Inspired by designer Barbara Kruger, the eye-catching design can arouse public concern and action on environmental issues. It focuses on some of the advantages and applications of genetically modified (GM) food, thus increasing the yield and quality of crops to meet human demand for food, and bringing benefits in terms of sustainable development and environmental protection.
The design is inspired by the McDonald's advertisement and draws on its simple, straightforward style for targeting a younger demographic. Since GM food is a product of scientific and technological progress, we conveyed relevant knowledge to the audience in a scientific way, including specific practical examples, to help them answer common questions and promote the public's rational knowledge and scientific thinking about GM technology.
Inspired by Huangsheng Wang's Garden of Memory series, the basic principle is to use overprints of plants to structure and reorganize new complex gardens of life. This concept allows the public to understand the beauty of nature through the artwork, which coincides with the aim of our human practice. The various colours and jumping lines also make the images more suitable for younger children who are interested in the concept of sustainability. It will be even more effective if the artwork is displayed to the public during the presentation.