Esferas is a monographic series that brings together different essays and academic articles on community outreach projects carried out in Latin America. These texts serve to disseminate recent social projects and to understand the depth of the relationships established with the community, the work methodologies, and the approaches taken from different fields of knowledge. ISSN (print version): 2631-2468 / ISSN (digital version): 2697-3499 Indexed / catalogued in: ROAD, Crossref, Dialnet, Google Scholar, Archive.org, Academia.edu.
Los autores que publiquen en la revista aceptan los siguientes términos: Los autores conservarán sus derechos de autor y garantizarán a la revista el derecho de primera publicación de su obra, la cual estará simultáneamente sujeto a la Licencia de reconocimiento de Creative Commons que permite a terceros compartir la obra siempre que se indique su autor y su primera publicación esta revista. Los autores podrán adoptar otros acuerdos de licencia no exclusiva de distribución de la versión de la obra publicada, pudiendo de esa forma publicarla en un volumen monográfico o reproducirla de otras formas, siempre que se indique la publicación inicial en esta revista. Se permite y se recomienda a los autores difundir su obra a través de Internet: Antes del envío a la revista, los autores pueden depositar el manuscrito en archivos/repositorios de pre-publicaciones (preprint servers/repositories), incluyendo arXiv, bioRxiv, figshare, PeerJ Preprints, SSRN, entre otros, lo cual puede producir intercambios interesantes y aumentar las citas de la obra publicada (Véase El efecto del acceso abierto). Después del envío, se recomiendo que los autores depositen su artículo en su repositorio institucional, página web personal, o red social científica (como Zenodo, ResearchGate o Academia.edu).
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Copyright (c) 2024 Diana Coello Baquero https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
Copyright (c) 2024 Diana Coello Baquero, Nicole Vega Rivas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Use of social networks on San Cristobal Island – Galapagos during COVID-19 for the prevention of gender violence
This article is a qualitative study on the feminist movement in San Cristóbal - Galapagos that, through the use of social networks, generated transformations in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis. This research is the result of the second phase of the study Island feminism meets feminist geopolitics: The spatial dynamics of gender-based violence in the Galapagos Islands. In this new installment, the main objective is to learn about the origin, changes, and strategies that women implemented during the confinement to create networks of support, education, justice, and awareness about gender-based violence. Self-convocation, self-organization, and the creation of safe spaces promoted different types of actions to prevent the death of one more woman within the archipelago; finding, in social networks a useful tool that enables the meeting, despite being in an environment of social and geographical distancing. Likewise, there will be a discussion on social movements and feminist collective action in the context of the pandemic.
Copyright (c) 2024 Daniela León-Mina, Joyce Robalino , Sofia Zaragocin, Cristen Dávalos https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
In vitro plant culture and its contribution to local agriculture
Ecuador, a megadiverse country, hosts valuable native plants such as naranjilla (Solanum quitoense) and tree tomato (Solanum betaceum), both with food and medicinal applications. Nevertheless, the accessibility to high-quality seeds and plants that promote efficient production and their affordable prices for local farmers remains a challenge. In this context, the use of biotechnological techniques, like in vitro plant tissue culture, emerges as an alternative for propagating these significant varieties. This essay details the activities performed in the outreach project “Soberanía Alimentaria Checa – Cultivo in vitro” and its contribution towards a sustainable agriculture. Through in vitro culture techniques, robust naranjilla and tree tomato plants have been successfully propagated and distributed to the Checa community with the support of students and faculty members from the Biotechnology and Agronomy programs at USFQ. This achievement underscores how biotechnology, education, and commitment can significantly contribute to socially and ecologically responsible projects over time, benefiting both small-scale farmers and the environment.
Copyright (c) 2024 Miguel Alejandro Orellana Carrión, Diana Calderón Carvajal, María de Lourdes Torres https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Importance of health surveillance from a One-Health perspective: linkages and research in Galapagos, Ecuador 2021-2022
The Galapagos Islands represent a complex and unique set of ecosystems in which wildlife, local communities and urban fauna coexist on a daily basis. But these interactions, along with the presence of invasive species and infectious diseases, can lead to risks to both human and animal health. This monographic review addresses the risk and presence of some of the most relevant pathogens and vectors present at the Galapagos from a "one health" perspective, which integrates human, animal and environmental health. It covered "zoonotic" diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans, the main pathogens that could threaten the urban fauna and the emblematic wildlife species, such as the Galapagos sea lion, and the main infectious agents that threaten the health of the human population, describing the main mosquito vector species in the islands and the viral diseases they can transmit. Finally, we described the activities conducted in 2021-2022 that involved the local community in the form of seminars and focus groups that aimed at informing the public about these diseases and their prevention, as well as field research based on sampling domestic dogs and setting mosquito traps to monitor the health and susceptibility of urban and local fauna to parasitic diseases. The results obtained can serve to the local government authorities for a better decision making and to implement the most adequate measures for the prevention and control of these infectious diseases
Copyright (c) 2024 Renato Leon, Rafael Polit, Carla Culda, Diego Páez-Rosas, Rommel Lenin Vinueza, Daniela Figueroa, Andrei Mihalca https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Physics Van, learning through the experience
Physics-Van is an activity within the "Creative Physics" outreach project of the College of Sciences and Engineering at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito since 2017. This initiative is based on the "learning by doing" methodology to teach the fundamentals of Physics, providing its beneficiaries with an immersive experience through experimentation. Physics-Van comes in two main formats: demonstrations and workshops. Over the years, thanks to its flexibility, it has managed to reach various regions in Ecuador, including Quito, El Coca, and the Galápagos Islands. This activity plays a crucial role as a solid bridge between higher education and the community, promoting an active approach to acquiring scientific knowledge in multiple contexts.
Copyright (c) 2024 Silvana Guitarra https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Journalism for conservation in Ecuador: when the media talk about the environment
This article discusses the results and the development of the link project "Journalism for the Conservation and Care of the Environment" developed by the Universidad Hemisferios, the Charles Darwin Foundation and the University of Saint Thomas (Minnesota) whose objective was to train journalists, editors, photographers and audiovisual producers in the generation of high-quality content on environmental issues. The methodology used was training through four workshops in the Galapagos, the Amazon and Quito, which provided the participants with tools to correctly address issues such as the environment, global warming, environmental false news, the defense of biodiversity in the media. and the protection of ecosystems. The program was able to train more than 100 communicators in Ecuador, improving the quality of environmental content in the Ecuadorian media and increasing the quantity and excellence of the materials produced around these issues. The program was sponsored by the Embassy and Consulate of the United States in Ecuador.
Copyright (c) 2024 Juan David Bernal Suárez, Nicole Castellanos https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Oral health conditions in beneficiaries of the Sonríe project, in cooperation with the Consejo Cantonal de Salud de Cuenca
The actions of the department of social outreach of the dentistry department of the Universidad Católica de Cuenca, in coordination with the Consejo Cantonal de Salud de Cuenca, made it possible to implement the Sonríe Cuenca project. The objective of the study was to report the results of a community intervention through this project. Dental care was carried out in 4 educational institutions and 6 public child development centers in the urban area of Cuenca during the period 2019 to 2023. A total of 214 students and 7 teachers participated during this period. The beneficiaries were 965 children, with a total of 3473 dental activities, distributed in oral health education carried out to all participants; prevention activities through the identification of biofilm, control of tooth brushing technique, dental diagnosis to 571 children, and finally with 1902 minimally invasive dental actions (prophylaxis, sealants, fluoridation, dental restorations). The execution of the brigade contributes to the improvement of the state of oral health, the emphasis was placed on the different dental activities carried out in the beneficiaries of the Sonríe Cuenca project, especially in education and prevention actions, despite a period of pandemic, the oral health education did not stop.
Copyright (c) 2024 Miriam V. Lima-Illescas, María del Carmen Pariona Minaya, Andrea-Paola Pérez-Mora, Magaly Jiménez Romero https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Affective development in families of the EEB Gaspar Sangurima of the Santa Ana parish, in Cuenca
The connection between universities and society plays a pivotal role in academia’s efforts to bridge the gap between rural and urban areas. In this context, this article aims to consolidate the experiences from three collaborative projects conducted at the Gaspar Sangurima School of Basic Education. These projects focused on educating parents and caregivers about topics related to family dynamics, emotional bonding, and effective family development. Additionally, they aimed to enhance emotional expression skills in children and adolescents. The methodology employed encompassed metaphorical, cognitive, artistic, and recreational techniques, grounded in systematic vision and attachment. Facilitators for these initiatives were students from the University of Azuay. The qualitative evaluation of the results revealed that the most significant achievement was enabling parents and caregivers to engage with their clients in thoughtfully designed environments. This underscores the necessity of these informative spaces, where both content and techniques fostered introspective work and promoted interaction among participating children and adolescents. In conclusion, these projects have demonstrated the value of such information spaces in nurturing family well-being and development.
Copyright (c) 2024 Janneth Baculima https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The use of puppets in the prevention of sexual violence against children
The "puppets" project was born in May 2021 as part of a larger project "Narrations for a change", which includes stories and videos to promote the prevention of child abuse, given that this problem is very widespread in our country and that during the COVID 19 pandemic it increased showing the need to work directly with children, so they can ask for help as soon as they detect any dangerous situation, whether they come from other people known or not. This project is linked to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3. Health and well-being, 4. Quality education, 5. Gender equality, 11. sustainable cities and communities and 16. peace, justice and strong institutions. The puppet play was presented in different schools, to children of all ages, it shows how two children "Esthela and Fermin" confront their neighbor "Freddy" when they feel he wants to harm them and ask for help to the police, calling 911 which is the emergency number. The results of this project showed how education is a strong element for long term sustainable development, it was demonstrated that edutainment through the use of puppets increases the intention to ask for help in children, it was also found that the preventive message was acquired in children through the recognition of danger.
Copyright (c) 2024 ana Lucia PAcurucu, Catalina Gonzalez Cabrera, Carlos Loja Liivisaca https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Orthopedics of rapid maxillary expansion with a face mask in a patient with unilateral cleft lip and palate: A case report
Cleft lip and palate is a congenital malformation that is generally associated with Class III skeletal malocclusion. This is due to the lack of union of the nasopalatine processes that generate craniofacial and dentoalveolar anomalies. However, the management of this Class III malocclusion is through early orthopedic treatment. The purpose of this case report was to describe the orthopedic changes of rapid maxillary expansion using a facemask in a patient with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate. This is a case report of an 8-year-old boy with Class III malocclusion due to maxillary retrusion and left posterior crossbite. A Hyrax intraoral rapid maxillary expansion appliance was used to correct the transverse deficiency of the anterior sector, and after that, the Petit facial mask was placed, correcting at the sagittal level, which could be used for 11 months, thus achieving significant dental-skeletal changes in a short time due to the collaboration of the parents and the age of the patient. Early treatment of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate had optimal dentoskeletal outcomes. This improved the posterior transverse relationship as well as in the sagittal plane, due to the advancement of the upper jaw, this was successful thanks to the collaboration of the patient, family members and the young age of the patient.
Copyright (c) 2024 Miriam V. Lima-Illescas, Karla Saldaña Cordero, Jhomille Garzón Estrella, Melissa Berrezueta Pérez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Interview: From Maracaibo to Quito, in search of new opportunities: a story of heroism and family love
Sabrina, a woman in the human mobility condition and in the pregnancy period, decides, with her husband and her one year old daughter, to come to Ecuador in search of new opportunities in life.
Copyright (c) 2024 Jaime Baquero de la Calle Rivadeneira, María Esperanza Flores, Ivy García https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Water justice and reciprocity between the city and the communities of the Ñukanchik Urku páramo in Cangahua, Ecuador
In Ecuador, paramo ecosystems are essential for the production of water for human consumption and irrigation. Some páramos in the country are managed by local and indigenous communities that have contributed to their conservation through water and páramo management plans based on values of reciprocity, territory and culture. However, there is a need to recognize and consolidate these community water and páramo conservation initiatives at the regional and national levels. One way to respond to this objective is to promote the environmental education of young people between urban-rural areas in order to develop an exchange of knowledge, know-how and practices. For this reason, the project 'Conociendo los páramos comunitarios del Ecuador' (Getting to know the community paramos of Ecuador) aims to take young people (high school and university level) from the city of Quito to get to know community paramos in the Cayambe area through exchanges with young people who live in communities that care for water and the páramo. The broader objective is to create a new generation of community water and páramo guardians in Quito who can disseminate their knowledge and encourage a dialogue of knowledge between urban-rural areas.
Copyright (c) 2024 Emilie Francoise Depuits, Carolina Aldama Dewit, María Emilia Coloma Romo, Daniela Espinoza, Jesús Guerrero, Danielle Hanna, Tatiana Salinas, Melania Intriago Loor https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Esferas, inspiring social, educational and cultural projects
Copyright (c) 2023 Alejandra Miño Bassante, Daniela Rosero https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Getting closer to the past, an archeological approximation to the bonding program
The “mocarros” is a normal world for the inhabitants of the Coaque river valley in the north province of Manabi. Local oral tradition is full of stories of finding archeological artifacts like vessels and figures. Those figurines called “muñecas”, were traditionally the most wanted, looted and sold artifacts. Since a long time ago, many of the members of the population dedicated their lifes to trading these objects in the national and international market. This practice officially ended with the decreet Nº. 2600 of the National Institute of Cultural Patrimony in 1978 (Consejo Supremo de Gobierno, 1978) that forbids the excavation without government issued permit. In fact, when severe problems affect the local economy, looting for selling continues. Since 2015, the project of community archeology in the valley of the coaque river has allowed interactions between the academy, represented by the professors and students of archeology of the San Francisco de Quito University, local leaders and local community at large. This paper pretends, to show how important the study the past of this coastal valley is and at the same time shows how a process of dialogue and participation with the community creates interactions that builds sense of identity and results on protecting their patrimony.
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Copyright (c) 2023 María José Morillo, Florencio Delgado, Mateo Subía https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Online education, a resource for the Unit for Diagnosis, Psychopedagogical Research and Inclusion Support
Education is the fundamental pillar in the community and it has undergone important and mandatory changes, adapting to the new teaching-learning methodologies with accompaniment, be they synchronous and asynchronous. This article aims to communicate the activities and results of the online education intervention, using virtual environments in the Unit for Diagnosis, Psychopedagogical Research and Inclusion Support (Udipsai) with the support of the Department of Links with Society from the Catholic University of Cuenca. The objective of this research is to substantiate the importance of Teaching and describe the results based on the methodologies used plus the interviews with experts and personnel from the Udipsai center. Thus, determining the educational impact during the online intervention process through this department. The importance of socializing the results of this research is intended to make visible the positive results of online education through the use of virtual platforms.
Copyright (c) 2023 Carlos Valverde, José Llivicota https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Children have an innate need to explore and make questions about what makes them curious. Also, they feel the desire to manipulate objects that allow them to experiment and try to understand a certain phenomenon. Learning science from an early age allows broadening knowledge and understanding of basic topics in biology, physics, mathematics or chemistry. Also, it helps to develop findings and explanations in an effective and systematic way, moving from experiential knowledge towards the scientist. It is necessary to satisfy this need to establish the foundation for future learning. Methodological proposals such as Science to the Rescue, allow teachers to manage this potential and direct it towards meaningful learning by younger students.
Copyright (c) 2023 Andrea Ayala, Alexis Hidrobo, Diana García https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
This article presents the work carried out within the Tsantsas project: rethinking collections of Shuar objects; focusing on the joint engagement between academia, museums, public institutions and the Shuar community. Framed around three key objectives of the United Nations 2030 planning, this project initiated in 2017 and whose first phase culminated in December 2019 has managed, through interdisciplinarity y concerted work with communities, to demonstrate the importance of collaborative and inclusive work in the development of research projects. This article also seeks to address the different narratives and debates that arise around research and work with human remains in museum contexts, whether they are exhibited or not. By approaching the historical conceptions, many of them nowadays problematic, with which these human remains have been presented from ethnography, history, archaeology and biology, and therefore within their respective narratives, we also explore the consequences that such interpretations have had on the reappropriation of the heritage of ancestral communities, especially when the trade or illicit trafficking of these cultural goods has separated them from ritual contexts for their commodification and exhibition. This paper will present some of the initial findings of the project, including digital medical images, and the feasibility of DNA analysis of these remains.
Copyright (c) 2023 María Patricia Ordóñez Álvarez, Consuelo Fernández-Salvador, Maria de Lourdes Torres https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
This essay discusses the development of a language learning program for the local community on the island of San Cristóbal in the Galapagos Islands. Second and third language skills are very important to residents of the Galapagos due to the islands’ dependency on the tourism sector. In pursuit of UN Sustainable Development Goal Four, Quality Education, the Department of Foreign Languages has implemented formal English and French as a Foreign Language education programs for children, adolescents and adults on San Cristóbal. USFQ’s Language Department in the Galapagos is small, but has used bespoke course design based around communicative functions to meet the needs of different groups within the local community.
Copyright (c) 2023 Oliver Carrick, Jessica Lorena Mera Bolaños https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Suena Pichincha #ElTalentoDeTuColegioEresTú
Con la idea de fomentar y fortalecer la música en los jóvenes ecuatorianos, se crea el Festival Intercolegial de Música "Suena Pichincha" que llegó de manera directa y exitosa a más de 100 000 jóvenes de 121 colegios de la provincia de Pichicha, Ecuador. Este proyecto es la unión del Estado (Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado de la Provincia de Pichincha, Ministerio de Educación, Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio), la empresa privada (Consorcio El Arlequín), el sector universitario (Colegio de Música de la Universidad San Francisco de Quito), el sistema educativo de colegios secundarios públicos y privados (estudiantes de los colegios secundarios, profesores de música de los colegios secundarios de la provincia de Pichincha) y la sociedad civil. El mayor beneficiado fue el sector musical de la provincia de Pichincha y del Ecuador.
Copyright (c) 2022 Teresa Brauer, Jesús Estévez
Música tradicional afroesmeraldeña para las futuras generaciones
Los afroecuatorianos son uno de los grupos étnicos históricamente más excluidos del país. Sin embargo, su música y danza tradicionales han servido para mantener viva y trascendente su herencia cultural. La orquesta Los Chigualeros es una prominente representante cultural de la provincia de Esmeraldas que, a través de la música, ha generado una estrecha relación con su comunidad, transmitiendo el legado cultural afro a través de talleres de formación musical con niños y jóvenes de la provincia. Por este motivo, miembros del cuerpo docente del Colegio de Comunicación y Artes del Colegio de Música de la Universidad San Francisco de Quito decidieron desarrollar una serie de estrategias para apoyar la importante iniciativa que la orquesta viene emprendiendo para su comunidad.
Copyright (c) 2022 Juan Pablo Viteri, Juan Pablo Viteri
Atención primaria de salud en la Unidad Educativa Tumbaco en el período 2013-2016
La Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, en convenio con el Ministerio de Salud Pública (MSP) y con autorización del Ministerio de Educación, inició, en el año 2013, un proyecto de atención integral de salud en la Unidad Educativa Tumbaco. Este proyecto de vinculación a la comunidad se creó con el objetivo de atender a una población vulnerable para proveerle de mayores oportunidades de acceso al sistema de salud. Esta unidad educativa es un establecimiento público, con escuela y colegio en la que estudian aproximadamente 4000 niños y adolescentes de nuestra comunidad. El propósito de este artículo es comparar las prestaciones de atención que se brindaron en este servicio de salud escolar durante el período 2013-2016, con las atenciones brindadas en un centro de atención primaria del MSP. En este estudio, se plantea que las principales causas de morbilidad en el servicio de salud escolar de la Unidad Educativa de Tumbaco entre los años 2013 y 2016 son similares a las principales causas de morbilidad establecidas por la base de datos del Registro Diario Automatizado de Consultas y Atenciones (RDACCA) del Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) para el centro de salud de Tumbaco.
Copyright (c) 2022 Marisol Bahamonde, Martha Yépez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Quito Project: un Proyecto de justicia social para niños de comunidades urbano-marginales
Desde el año 2013, estudiantes voluntarios de la Universidad de Michigan y de la Universidad San Francisco de Quito han colaborado en un proyecto de justicia social para atender a niños de barrios urbano-marginales de Quito durante el período vacacional de verano. Estos estudiantes, con el acompañamiento de una profesora de cada institución, organizan un campamento de verano que permite a niños de escasos recursos acceder a actividades académicas y recreativas que fomentan su desarrollo integral.
Copyright (c) 2022 María Dolores Lasso, Lenny A. Ureña Valerio
Descubre el científico que hay en ti: aprender ciencias de manera divertida
La falta de interés por el estudio de la ciencia, así como el rechazo que producen las mismas en el aula, ha generado la necesidad de buscar un medio para volverlas atractivas. Como lo menciona Schmidt, presidenta de Let"™s Talk Science, en el artículo Students lacking interest in Science, es necesario que se muestre la utilidad que tienen las ciencias en la vida diaria como en la vida laboral. En respuesta a dicha preocupación, el Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías, El Politécnico, de la Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) ofrece el proyecto de vinculación Ciencia al Rescate (CAR), el cual es una alternativa para mostrar que la ciencia puede llegar a ser divertida. En el mismo, tanto profesores como estudiantes de la universidad realizan una serie de actividades destinadas a este fin: shows en vivo, videos de ciencia difundidos a través de su página web, una revista de difusión científica para niños, y talleres de ciencia para docentes. El proyecto se inició en agosto de 2015 y funciona hasta la actualidad con la participación de 13 profesores, 24 estudiantes y 6 administrativos.
Copyright (c) 2022 David A. Egas, Andrea Ayala, Andrea C. Landázuri
La responsabilidad social y el espacio universitario
Esta investigación se aproxima a la gestión de la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa, el Marketing Social y el Marketing relacionado a una causa, con una mirada hacia stakeholders, haciendo énfasis dentro de estos a los consumidores. En el estudio se observarán las características de cada una de las estrategias empresariales antes mencionadas y se plantearán ejemplos y estudios de caso sobre su ejecución. Algunas de las conclusiones apuntan a que las empresas consumidores dan cada vez más prioridad a sus consumidores lo que repercute en la mejoría de sus productos y servicios y su convivencia con la comunidad.
Copyright (c) 2022 María Gabriela Falconí
Service-Learning: the ceramics workshop as a vehicle for exchange
Service-Learning (SL) is an experiential learning methodology that is applied in multiple fields, one of them being the Ceramics Workshop to which this article refers. The Ceramics Workshop arises as a form of artistic expression of the community of Guayama Grande in the Andean páramo of Chugchilán in Cotopaxi. Here, for two and a half years "”before and during the COVID-19 pandemic"”students, teachers and the community have put into practice a methodology based on recovering their memory and revitalizing their language, both of which are fundamental in building their world, with ceramics as the mechanism of interpretation of that world, which has been in "oblivion" for years. The Workshop becomes a vehicle for exchange and mutual learning. This has allowed the emergence of a community image sculptor who, putting into practice the acquired knowledge and the concept of ayni, Andean reciprocity, has been able to share the art of ceramics with other communes and places, promoting well-being (SDG3) and quality education (SDG4).
Copyright (c) 2022 Verónica Yepez-Reyes, Consuelo Crespo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
"Science to the Rescue": discover your inner scientist
It is well known that curiosity is the engine of learning. It leads to creativity that allows the development of ideas, skills and ways to solve a problem. However, curiosity and creativity are not correctly valued in traditional education, so it must be modified. One alternative is to allow the child to ask questions when observing a phenomenon and to seek to answer their concerns by exploring the world around them. In this sense, "Ciencia al Rescate" ("Science to the Rescue") is an outreach project of USFQ that seeks to recover the capacity of children and youth to explore through experiments, fun reading, or videos focused on exact and natural sciences. Teachers from different educational institutions, organizations, and the Ministry of Education already use this material. The aim of this project is to sow love for science from an early age and to encourage curiosity, thus stimulating a taste for learning and understanding science and its developments.
Copyright (c) 2021 Andrea Ayala, Alexis Hidrobo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Gravid-Aedes Trap as an alternative for surveillance of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector of dengue on the Galapagos Islands
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a two-winged insect of medical importance as it is the main vector of several arboviruses including dengue, chikungunya and Zika. This species is diurnal and is adapted to live close to the human population in urban settings. In 1988, the first dengue outbreak occurred in Ecuador. Since then, dengue has been endemic, causing peaks of transmission every four or five years. On the Galapagos Islands, this species was introduced in 2002 when the first cases were reported on Santa Cruz Island. Subsequently, a major epidemic outbreak occurred in 2010 on San Cristóbal Island, and since then, sporadic cases have occurred every year. A few cases of chikungunya and Zika have also been reported in past years. In the archipelago, the activities to reduce the mosquito populations have been restricted to vector control through abatization campaigns, to kill the mosquito larva, and fumigation with the insecticide Deltamethrin, to kill the adults. Mosquito surveillance initiatives have not been developed; nevertheless, they are crucial to be able to evaluate the best vector control strategies and choose the most adequate measures to eliminate the vector mosquitoes and reduce disease transmission. The Gravid-Aedes Trap is presented as an easy-to-use, passive monitoring tool for vector surveillance. It is affordable and does not require electricity. Evaluation studies in Brazil have shown the usefulness of this trap to conduct vector surveillance and vector control. A pilot study is herein reported with 10 GAT traps that were placed in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristóbal Island and in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island to carry out mosquito surveillance. Preliminary results suggest that the GAT traps may be effective for collecting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and thus of potential use to complement the vector control strategies that are routinely carried out on the Galapagos Islands. Other mosquito species collected were Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes taeniorhynchus. Future large-scale studies are necessary to further evaluate the usefulness of this new trap.