Following a successful pilot program in 2024, ChileCarne is continuing its “Superheroes Training” educational initiative, which is part of the Ministry of Science’s CuriosasMentes (curious minds) traveling laboratories initiative program. This time around, the program will be offered in rural schools. This activity aims to educate students about healthy eating and sustainability by connecting learning to their immediate productive environment.
The Chilean Meat Exporters’ Association, ChileCarne, has relaunched its educational project, “Superheroes Training: A healthy diet for a strong mind and strong planet,” aimed at elementary school students. This new edition will be implemented as part of the CuriosasMentes Laboratories initiative, directed by the Explora Program through the North Metropolitan Region’s Associative Project. It will be held in rural schools located near pig farms to promote science education rooted in the countryside.
The initiative uses fun activities, experiments, and tailored material to help children understand the value of a balanced diet, the importance of protein, and the principles of sustainable food production.
“Collaborating with institutions like ChileCarne and companies in the food industry has been a huge contribution to the program’s content and methods. These activities have shown the importance of connecting scientific research with daily life and local production challenges, making science more accessible and attractive to the community,” said Dr. Mario Chiong, director of the project.
First launched in 2024 in urban schools, the program seeks to strengthen local roots and emphasize the value of productive environments as sources of scientific learning. Many of the students who will participate live in communities that are directly or indirectly linked to the food production sector.
“We believe sustainability is best taught by example. What better place to do so than in the territories where our farms are located? The aim of this project is to make science more accessible to children based on their everyday lives: what they eat, what is produced in their area, and how these decisions impact the planet. Together with the teachers, we want to provide real support in the education of new generations that are interested in science by taking a conscious look at food and the environment in the classroom,” said Daniela Álvarez, ChileCarne’s Sustainability Manager.
30 years of scientific dissemination
The Explora Program, overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. For three decades, the program has brought science and innovation to educational communities from pre-school and up. It is currently implemented through Regional Associative Projects (PAR), which are led by universities in collaboration with local stakeholders. For example, the North Metropolitan PAR is led by the Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS) through the University of Chile’s School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. From 2023 to 2024 alone, Explora reached 92% of the country’s municipalities and trained more than 15 thousand teachers, with high female participation in its initiatives.
For the 2025-2026 period, the program will focus on co-creating activities that emphasize food, biodiversity, and other local challenges. As such, the alliance with the Meat Exporters’ Association has been as a prime example of collaboration between science, industry, and education.
“These partnerships enable us to address sustainable production, food security, and the circular economy, thereby aligning the program with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And most importantly, they show that science is not just a laboratory thing, but an integral part of our everyday lives, influencing what we eat, how we grow our food, and how we inhabit our environment,” said Chiong.
These collaborations also allow learning to go beyond the classroom and make connections with local activities.
“In addition, close contact between the educational community and companies has boosted the development of practical skills and occupational competencies in students and teachers. This brings science education closer to the real world and values the knowledge and innovation that come from these territories,” the scientist added.
With this new edition of the project, ChileCarne joins the celebration of Explora’s 30th anniversary with a proposal that links science, food, and sustainability in a concrete and collaborative way.
“Through this initiative, we are excited to be able to show the children what inspires us: working every day for a better future. And the most significant thing is that this year we will be able to do it directly in the communities where we operate, strengthening our commitment beyond just production. We want to be an active player in the educational processes that build the future,” concluded Daniela Álvarez.
