For three days Monfalcone transforms into a city of science

Also this year Monfalcone is preparing to become a scientific laboratory with the 15th edition of Scienza Under 18, the Festival of scientific communication that, from Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th May, will animate the centre of Monfalcone, with the aim of presenting the scientific projects developed by the schools to other students, but also to citizens and interested parties of all ages.

An initiative – organized by the cultural association “Scienza Under 18 Isontina” with the collaboration and contribution of the Municipality of Monfalcone, the support of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Carigo Foundation and the contribution of the Banca di Credito Cooperativo della Venezia Giulia – which will take place between Piazza della Repubblica, where 15 stands will be set up, the Palazzetto Veneto and the Teatro comunale Bonezzi.

The program of the many initiatives scheduled was presented this morning by the Councilor for Education, Tiziana Maioretto, and by the president of the association Scienza Under 18 Isontina, Giuliana Candussio, together with Marco Ghinelli representing the BCC della Venezia Giulia.

“A project that involves the younger generations, offering them the opportunity to approach science in a proactive and creative way, and to become protagonists of community life – highlighted Councilor Maioretto –.

We thank the association Scienza Under 18 for their commitment and availability, together with all those who are collaborating to the success of the initiative and the many organizations that are approaching with enthusiasm.

The Festival is a virtuous example of synergy between school, institutions and territory, capable of transforming the city center into a large open-air laboratory, with many young people who will peacefully invade Piazza della Repubblica, Palazzetto Veneto and Teatro. The Municipality continues to invest in the new generations, in associations and in the school by making spaces and resources available because we are convinced that initiatives like this enrich the educational path of the kids and contribute to building a more aware community and inclined to participate in the active life of our city”.

The ribbon cutting for the 15th edition is scheduled for Thursday 15th, at 9:00 a.m., in the Palazzo dell'Ex Pretura, in the presence of the students of the “G. Galilei” Institute of Gorizia who qualified first at the national level in the Bebras computer science competition: Mattia Krascek, Thomas Elia Solinas and Piero Vetta; the students of the ISIS BEM – “G. Marconi” Technical Institute of Staranzano, winners of the first prize for the Secondary Schools category of the competition “Let's make 17 goals with the active school” promoted by ASviS and MIM; the student Giulio Prodan of the “G. Galilei” High School of Trieste nominated “Alfiere della Repubblica” for his Class Lab project.

At the end of the interventions, the Choir of the students of the secondary school “GI Ascoli” of Gorizia, directed by Prof. Elisa Bensa, will perform.

The soles' exhibitions will follow until 12:00 in Piazza della Repubblica, which will be offered during all three days from 9:00 to 12:00.

On Friday 16th, from 2:45 pm to 5:00 pm, the Teatro Comunale Bonezzi will host the Teatro Didattica Scienza, while every day it will be possible to participate in the workshops, by reservation, which will be offered from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm in Piazza della Repubblica. At the same time, you will be able to discover the many proposals of the extracurricular exhibitor stands and the exhibitions “Scatti di Scienza” and “Un'altra specie di mare” on the third floor of the Palazzetto Veneto. The first, curated by Scienza under 18 Isontina, collects scientific and naturalistic photographs taken by students, from nursery school to secondary school. The second, curated by the Miramare Marine Protected Area and the National Institute of Oceanography, offers comic strips on changes in the marine environment, including new species, acidification and loss of biodiversity. Also at the Palazzetto Veneto, at 9:15 am on Saturday the awards ceremony for the photography competition “Scatti di scienza – la bellezza di un'immagine” will be held. At 10.15 we will move to Piazza della Repubblica for the awards ceremony of the mathematical games of Pi Greco Day 2025 and, to close the event, at 11.00, the Flash mob on the theme of "Pi Greco" and a performance by the students of the sports dance courses.

During the three days in Piazza della Repubblica it will also be possible to participate in the workshops of the organizations that collaborate with Scienza Under 18, organized by the Civil Protection of Monfalcone, Mare Fvg, Isambiente and the Environmental Association Eugenio Rosmann, Crea Gorizia, OGS, Miramare Marine Protected Area, to help the youngest acquire knowledge and awareness regarding important and current issues.

“We have reached the fifteenth edition of an event that once again will see the kids invade the square with games, workshops and scientific experiments: an explosion of energy and creativity that testifies to the great work done in schools” – underlines President Candussio. “The Festival represents a real showcase to valorize the projects and contents developed during the school year, often with very high level results that deserve to be shared with all citizens.

There are 32 participating schools, for a total of about 70 activities: a significant number, which confirms the educational value of an event capable of actively involving about 680 students, in addition to the many others who will participate as visitors. In addition to the students' work, the square and city spaces will also host activities and workshops proposed by local institutions and organizations, demonstrating a living territorial fabric that believes in scientific dissemination and youth participation.

Thanks to the support of the Region, the Municipality of Monfalcone, the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Gorizia and the BCC – which support the initiative – we can continue to believe in this format that also has a national and cross-border dimension. A virtuous example of a school open to the territory, in which public and private collaborate to invest in young people, a true resource for the future of our community”.

The complete program will be available on the website scienzaunder18isontina.it