Eureka Program
The Eureka Program of Ciencia & Vida was created in 2005 to disseminate science and to contribute to science education, through media networks and on-location work with the educational community and the general public. With a multimedia focus, our creations include school workshops, video games, animations, television series, and books, which are available on TV channels and digital platforms, as well as on our YouTube channel and those of our collaborators and co-producers. With more than 500 productions in its catalogue, the Eureka Program is a relevant contribution to science education, at the school level as well as for the general public. Its productions have received national and international awards.
Eureka promotes a policy of collaboration with other Centers of Excellence and with audiovisual companies. Today, our programs include the participation of the Millennium Institute of Oceanography, the companies IMAGO Productions, GVG Productions, and Digital Education, creating a pioneering initiative in Chile and Latin America.
In times of pandemic, Eureka has been a relevant actor, contributing with original, high-quality content for the educational community in Chile, via digital platforms like EducarChile and public television channel TV Educa Chile, broadcasted throughout the country.
Since its inception, Eureka has been a nucleus of formation for young professionals, offering continuous training to scientists, journalists, and audiovisual professionals. Many of them performing today in the area of scientific dissemination.
Primetime TV Series
The Eureka Program has produced high-impact television series for the public at large, which have contributed to the dissemination of science in Chile and abroad. These inspiring stories have become educational material and cultural heritage for Chileans. Our productions have been broadcasted in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Europe, and the U.S. through numerous channels and platforms. They also have received international awards in Brazil, Spain, Italy, and other countries, such as “Brilliant Mind” First Prize, trajectory category, Mostra International Scientific Audiovisual, Brazil, 2016. Worth highlighting is the series “Explorers, from the Atom to the Cosmos”, with 285 reports on science carried out at Centers of Excellence in Chile, seen by millions of television viewers and which today, thanks to an alliance with Fundación Chile, is used as educational material in schools throughout the country.
Brilliant Minds (LINK)
Explorers, from the Atom to the Cosmos (LINK)
Documentaries
Another way to reach large audiences in order to disseminate science is through documentaries. We have recently co-produced “Atacamex: Exploring the Unknown”, along with the Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO). The documentary narrates the unique feat of a group of Chilean scientists in reaching the deepest point of the Atacama Trench (more than 8,000 meters) for the first time in the history of scientific exploration in the world. Atacamex won the award for the Best Documentary at UNOFEX in Monaco and most recently the Best Long Feature Film award in the 1st Actrum International Film Festival, Madrid, Spain, 2021, and it has been selected for official competition in many film festivals around the world
Atacamex, Exploring the Unknown (LINK)
Series and Animations
An area of special attention is children’s and youth productions. We create series based on scientific content that allow children and young audiences to learn while having fun, awakening their curiosity and interest for science and the world around them.
To date, we have produced more than 12 original television series and innovated in both format and in their development process. We have consolidated a model for collaborative, interdisciplinary, public-private co-production, which allows us to create high-impact series that are broadcasted on children’s public television networks in Chile, Peru, and Colombia. As shown below, many of these series have won international and national awards.
The following are examples of these series:
Experimenta ciencia de niñ@s 2018 -2020 (LINK?)
Los Fantásticos Viajes de Ruka 2017-2020 (LINK?)
Lyn & Babas 2017-2020 (LINK?)
Bichitos Invisibles 2020 (LINK?)
The Eureka Program has produced video games and interactive educational tools for scientific content with the objective of improving education at school, especially in vulnerable areas. These productions have won national and international awards. One example of our productions in this area is the videogame Xentinelas Xelulares, dedicated explain the immunology system in a kid-friendly and interactive mode which won the Best Videogame award, Festival ComKids Prix Jeunesse Iberoamericano, Sao Paulo, Brazil 2013.
Xentinelas Xelulares (LINK)
School Workshops and Talks
In collaboration with the Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO), we have developed school workshops. The activity, known as the “Traveling Scientific Audiovisual Exhibit” (MACI, in Spanish) has the goal of creating an educational intervention with content linked to marine biology for an entire school day. This initiative has been recognized and very much appreciated by professors and students. To date, we have imparted more than 150 workshops throughout Chile, impacting thousands of students and hundreds of educators.
BEST OF CATEGORY AND FIRST PRIZE AWARDS
following is a list of best in their category or first prize awards that have been won by Ciencia & Vida / Eureka Program productions in diverse festivals in Chile and abroad.
A complete list of awards is available in (LINK)