| Abstract |
The Andean Geothermal Center of Excellence (CEGA) Outreach Unit has been testing different ways to bring the issue of geothermal energy to different audiences for years, with a focus on young people and the media. Our work includes books, videos, talks, murals, exploration kits for girls and more. During the first semester of 2019, CEGA developed a free interactive exhibition about volcanoes in one of the main subway stations in Chile, covering topics such as volcanoes forms, dangers and benefits through mixed media: virtual reality, augmented reality, scenographies, and the guidance of a team of geologists who accompanied the visitors - children and adolescents - during the tour, sharing research experiences and their passion for volcanoes with the audience. Although the central theme of this exhibition – “Journey to the center of the volcano”- revolved around volcanoes, our team conceived it as an excuse to relieve the issue of geothermal energy among the target audience, noting that the positive side of the volcanoes was the enormous amount of energy that could be provided to a country with the greatest unexploited potential of geothermal energy. The evaluation instruments applied to a sample of visitors, revealing whether the use of volcanoes as a hook to open the conversation about geothermal energy is effective. The application of the evaluation instruments (surveys) and the analysis of results is still a work in progress, and we are willing to present its results during the New Zealand Geothermal Workshop, along with the materials of the exhibition which are all licensed under Creative Commons. |