Earthquakes: Schools making a difference

In the framework of the European project “Open School for Open Societies”, the Institute of Geodynamics  of the National Observatory of Athens and Ellinogermaniki Agogi (EA) have been collaborating in the last 4 years, designing and implementing education and information actions on the subject of earthquakes. These actions include the creation of a network of school seismographs, in which 15 schools are involved so far, aiming at monitoring the seismic activity and drawing useful conclusions, organizing summer schools for students and teachers, conducting student competitions, organising student forums, where students discuss and propose solutions to the authorities.

Our goal is to highlight the role of schools in raising awareness on vital issues, such as earthquakes. In this direction, student work and research addresses the needs of local communities and focuses on the effort to solve the problems they face.

On this theme, EA’s High School students in the Entrepreneurship Society and the Natural Sciences Society have created a virtual social enterprise, which they have been named “Seismoving”. Children through the company's website inform the public about earthquakes with data from the school seismograph.

This work will be presented at a special event on Friday 27 April at 9.30 am in the Athens Science Festival. The event titled "Earthquakes: School makes a difference ..." will take place at the Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens in Gazi (Piraeus 100) and it is under the auspices of  HE the President of the Republic of Greece, Mr Prokopios Pavlopoulos .

The program of the event is as follows:

Keynote speakers

1. Professor Emmanuel Pleionis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and President of the National Observatory of Athens
2. Professor Gerasimos Tselentis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Director of the Geodynamic Institute
3. Dr Stavros Savvas, President and CEO of Ellinogermaniki Agogi
4. Presentation of the program "Schools study earthquakes" by Dr Gerasimos Houliaras,  the Director of Research at the Institute of Geodynamics of the National Observatory of Athens
5. HE the President of the Republic of Greece, Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos

Presentations

1. Presentation of the "Make your own seismograph" contest by Dr Gerasimos Houliaras, the Director of Research at the Institute of Geodynamics of the National Observatory of Athens
2. Presentation of educational activities by Mr Konstantinos Makropoulos of OASP and Chairman of the Standing Scientific Committee on Seismic Risk Assessment
3. Presentation of results of a pan-Hellenic research carried out by the RASS on the perception of the earthquake phenomenon and the protection measures of the general public and students. The research will be presented by Mrs Maria Karaklioumi, Statistical Analyst at RASS

Award Ceremonies

1. Presentation of Awards for the schools that excelled in the educational contest "Build your own seismograph"
2. The event will begin with a musical performance by EA’s Choir