Girls and Boys from the Regions of Antofagasta and Tarapacá Brought the ViLTI 2022 Olympics to Life

This initiative is part of the ViLTI SeMANN educational robotics program, which is supported by SQM.

The science projects at the second version of the UCN ViLTI SeMANN Program Olympics ranged from an erupting volcano to the complex movements of a robotic hand. The event brought together students from Tocopilla, Antofagasta and Quillagua in the Antofagasta Region and La Huayca in the Tarapacá Region.

The ViLTI SeMANN educational laboratory is overseen by the university’s Vice Rector for Research and Technological Development. Thanks to SQM’s support, it develops students’ scientific skills from early childhood using a playful methodology that is one of a kind in Chile. The objective of this particular gathering was for girls and boys from 4 to 10 years of age to come together and exchange experiences and knowledge.

The event also included the so-called “ViLTI Challenges” to test the children’s scientific skill and experimentation through projects grouped into 4 categories: Maya, Paya, Kimsa, and Pusi (the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, in the Aymara language).

For Olga Hernández, director of the ViLTI SeMANN Program, the results of this event are a reflection of the pedagogical work carried out this year. “We are very satisfied with the science projects by all the participating teams, and we are even prouder to see the support of their teachers and families. Undoubtedly, listening to the children present their initiatives confirms the significance of the whole process and also how the program helps them develop oral expression, with clear and precise explanations of all the stages of their projects.”

Pablo Pisani, Director of Communities and Public Affairs for SQM’s Nitrate and Iodine businesses, also expressed his appreciation for this event: “We are very happy to see how the second ViLTI SeMANN Olympics culminated in such an enriching day, with the children, the parents, the teachers all working for the boys’ and girls’ development and wellbeing. For us, for SQM, this is a great example of an exceptional program that continually demonstrates how we build community and how we build better citizens through robotics education. We are very pleased and hope to continue reaching more territories.

This second version of the ViLTI SeMANN Olympics confirms the work done over the past nine years, showing the program’s contribution to scientific thinking, robotics and scientific literacy, key aspects for cognitive development at an early age, which has an impact on human capital development.