The Biodiversity Protection Team hosted children from a kindergarten in Ruciane-Nida in October. Katarzyna Borońska, Anna Kononiuk and Anna Korzekwa prepared activities through which children learned about the research and other activities of the IARFR PAS research station in Popielno, including initiatives aimed at protecting the environment. The youngest visited the station’s animal pens with the scientists, where they could see cows, mules, sheep and other interesting animals. Another stop was a visit to the museum, located in a historic granary from the mid-18th century. The preschoolers also participated in experiments and could see what a scientist’s work looks like in the laboratory.
We would like to thank the preschoolers and educators for their visit and interest in the Institute’s activities, and the Biodiversity Protection Team staff for organising the visit for our youngest visitors.
Dr Radosław Kowalski from the Gamete and Embryo Biology Team of our Institute gave a guest lecture at the inaugural meeting of the Olsztyn Academy of Children (OAD), which is run by the Planetarium in Olsztyn. This time the students were introduced to water, and more specifically to its superpowers as the source of life and health for all living organisms.
A scientist intrigued the youngest students with a lecture about humans and oceans. What do we have in common, why are humans aquatic mammals and why can we say that every human being is a living drop in the ocean? – asked Dr Radosław Kowalski during the inauguration of the OAD.
More information about the Olsztyn Children’s Academy can be found on the Planetarium website.
Is career planning a linear process? Can you think of an astonishing career that has been precisely scheduled before it even begun? In 99,9% of the time this is not the case. People say that change is the only constant, so why don’t get better at it?
Those kind of questions were flying around Career Days with Food Educators that took place in our Institute. Between December 5 and 7, three groups of high school students from Olsztyn (Uniwersyteckie XII Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Marii i Georga Dietrichów, IV Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie w Olsztynie, Gastronomik Olsztyn) in total number of 66 had a chance to learn and experience what scientific career can look like.
– Apart from visiting laboratories of Nutrigenomics (wet lab and bioinformatics), and those related to the Aquaculture (IAR&FR PAS, the Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn), students had a chance to talk with the scientists from all over the globe and witness their passion for research. It was a great opportunity to show that it’s more than possible to have a successful and fulfilling international career in Olsztyn – says Maciej Cieślik, Institute’s HR Business Partner and coordinator of Career Days with Food Educators.
But the most important takeaway was that it’s OK not to know what you want to do for the rest of your life, especially when you are young, as long as you are willing to try new things, new paths, and set your mind positively. First step of a successful career is to get to know yourself better, identify your strengths and build on them. It’s never too late to make a change in your career path when the final goal is your happiness. The Career Days, organised by the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, were held within the framework of Food Educators, a programme of the EIT Food, which spreads knowledge about food safety, healthy eating habits, responsible consumer choices, not wasting food and careers in the agri-food sector. Learn more: foodeducators.eu.
The use of yeast in the food industry, learning about and testing methods for examining milk, counting bacteria, preparing microscope slides – the laboratories of the Division of Food Science of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences opened their doors to secondary school students from Olsztyn.
How do you get young people interested in food to help them shape informed consumer attitudes, develop critical thinking, and present exciting career opportunities in the agri-food sector that will lead to an active transformation of the food system in the future? Preferably from the practical side, as secondary school students found out during the Microbiology workshops with Food Educators.
The meeting started with an introduction to microbiology and the yeast 'strongmen’. Marzena Lenkiewicz from the Microbiology Laboratory of the IAR&FR PAS talked about these remarkable microorganisms and their use in the food industry. After the theoretical part, students continued in the laboratories, where they learnt about food safety and milk testing methods, conducted tests on their own, prepared microscope slides and counted bacteria.
– We are happy to show young people the world of science. Perhaps they will choose a career in science (…) Thank you very much for the opportunity to show the whole institute and for the workshop – concludes Ewa Stanisławska-Lepko, a teacher from the Wisława Szymborska Group of Catering and Food Schools in Olsztyn.
Food Educators is a programme of the European Knowledge and Education Community for Food (EIT Food), which creates and disseminates the materials essential to teach young people about healthy and sustainable eating habits. It enables the youngest consumers to make choices that are good for both them and the environment. Food Educators is also about promoting interesting career paths throughout the food supply chain and encouraging adepts to enter the agri-food sector. Join the international network at www.foodeducators.eu
Spaghetti bolognese, burgers, scrambled eggs, smoothies – these are dishes that are quite popular in a teenager’s diet. Is it possible to prepare them in such a way that they are delicious, easy to prepare, healthy and 100% plant-based? The Institute’s experts in the EIT Food 'Food Educators’ project have shown that it is!
Meatless Monday is a worldwide campaign encouraging consumers to reduce their meat consumption – for their own health and for care of the planet. The name of the campaign suggests that the challenge to reduce meat and zoonotic products should start by eliminating meat from our diet for at least one day a week.
While information campaigns outline the topic, a more effective method of supporting a change in consumer habits, especially for young people, is practical action. The Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, as part of the 'Food Educators’ project, organised a cooking workshop for secondary school students from Olsztyn.
During the event, students learnt about the idea of Meatless Monday, explored conscious consumer attitudes with experts, including dealing with food labels and food packaging, and then stepped into the workshop kitchen, where they learnt about plant-based alternatives to their favourite dishes under the guidance of a chef. The event culminated with a shared meal and space to share their experiences.
– Meatless Monday is a great action that can be successfully incorporated into school canteens. Importantly, the students respond to the idea very enthusiastically! – the organisers conclude.
Food Educators is a programme of the European Knowledge and Education Community for Food (EIT Food), which creates and disseminates the materials essential to teach young people about healthy and sustainable eating habits. It enables the youngest consumers to make choices that are good for both them and the environment. Food Educators is also about promoting interesting career paths throughout the food supply chain and encouraging adepts to enter the agri-food sector. Join the international network at www.foodeducators.eu
Cosmic food and the secrets of freeze-drying, testing the quality of milk, fermentation as a natural method of food preservation, the pyramid of healthy lifestyle and nutrition, food safety and food storage in the fridge, pro-health antioxidants in popular drinks, tips on handling food packaging with the EIT Food InformPack project – these were the topics we brought to the participants of the 21st Olsztyn Science and Art Days.
– We chose activities that would interest both younger and older schoolchildren. We wanted to show that food research is about the laboratory and food chemistry, but also about a broader context, i.e. food-related phenomena that affect us all – from food storage, through conscious consumer attitudes and drawing attention to the scale of food waste, to handling food packaging – sums up Iwona Kieda, the initiator of the idea of joining this year’s Olsztyn Science and Art Days celebrations and the coordinator on behalf of Inobiotek Ltd.
On 21 and 22 September, scientists welcomed both organised groups and individual visitors who wanted to broaden their knowledge of food or get the youngest members of their families interested in the subject.
What is the ketogenic diet and is it worth following it? We were looking for an answer to this question during the first educational meeting carried out as part of the ERA Chairs WELCOME2 project. Scientists from our Institute invited to a joint discussion representatives of the academic community, education, local politics, innovation, health care, as well as private individuals interested in the ketogenic diet in the context of health benefits.
Dr. Natalia Drabińska from the Department of Food Chemistry and Biodynamics of the IRZiBŻ PAS explained all the key aspects of this currently very popular diet and presented the NCN project she runs: „KETO-MINOX: The impact of an isocaloric, reducing ketogenic diet on metabolism, inflammation, selected nutritional parameters and stress of overweight and obese women. View the presentation
Dr. Piotr Kaczyński from the Department of Hormonal Action Mechanisms of the IAR&FR PAS presented facts and the latest research on the effect of ketogenic diet on human reproductive processes, especially in relation to fertility problems. View the presentation
Dr. Aleksandra Kocot from the University of Gdańsk gave a lecture on the impact of the ketogenic diet on sports performance.
Oliwia Czerniewska from BeKeto company talked about the products developed to diversify the keto diet, and explained in detail how (if necessary and recommended) to supplement while using the ketogenic menu. View the presentation
Dr. Marianna Raczyk from the WELCOME2 team introduced us to the concept of nutrigenomics and spoke about how our diet may affect various processes in the body. View the presentation
The meeting ended with a discussion panel, during which the participants of the meeting could share their questions and doubts. The experts were joined by dr hab. n. med. Elżbieta Jarocka-Cyrta, prof. UWM.
At the end of May, the nutrigenomics team joined the 26th Science Picnic – Europe’s largest outdoor science-popularization event organized jointly by Polish Radio and the Copernicus Science Centre. It has been held every year since 1997.
Our team presented two original demonstrations:
Our team presented two original demonstrations?
Vitamin d and its importance in our diet
We taught our youngest attendees about the impact of food on gene expression and explained that genetic differences play a role in how we respond to food. We also prepared our participants for the coming months by showing them how different barriers, such as clothing or UV filter creams, affect vitamin D synthesis during sun exposure. The Science Picnic was commended by the European Commission in 2005 as one of 10 model European projects in the “Science and Society” field.
Another extraordinary meeting with the Olsztyn Children’s Academy is behind us. This time the young students were met by Dr. Anna Szóstek-Mioduchowska, who talked about an issue of particular importance in the autumn-winter season – the immune system. Dr. Szóstek-Mioduchowska drew attention to the human body’s 'tools’ for defending itself against harmful external and internal factors. What immune cells do we find in the human body and how many are there in one drop of blood? What is the difference between innate and acquired immunity? What does the body tell us when we are affected by ailments characterised by inflammation? Answers to these and many other questions were sought during the meeting.
The students were also treated to a workshop session where they could play young chemists’ roles. Under the supervision of Kamila Penkacik, M.Sc., the children studied magical antioxidants and created molecular pearls.
The third meeting of the Academy took place on 11 February at Olsztyn’s Planetarium. The next is planned for 15 April. More information about the Olsztyn Children’s Academy can be found on the Planetarium website under the Education tab.
„Meatless Monday” stands for an international campaign that encourages people to reduce meat in their diet for their health and the health of the planet. The production of animals has a significantly bigger environmental imprint than that of plants. It requires more energy and water, contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, habitat destruction and species extinction. The biggest changes are made with small, yet regular, steps, hence the idea to stop eating meat al least once a week. And since we love fresh starts when it comes to dietary resolutions, Monday couldn’t be a better choice for this. On December 13th EIT Food #AnnualFoodAgenda in Poland joined celebrations and promotion of a plant-based cuisine and invited consumers for a unique culinary experience where they could prepare traditional japanese dish in a slightly avant-garde, since plant-based, version.
The event started with morning sessions addressed to school students and their teachers. The participants, mentored by professional chefs, got their hands on preparing plant-based lunch versions they could easily replicate at homes and take to school. These included vegetable pastas, spinach dumplings and plant-based alternatives to American street food. The students discovered the value of ‘green’ products for their health and learnt how their little everday choices could actually influence the well-being of our planet.
The evening workshops „Meatless Monday: Vege Sushi” was a great opportunity to discover one of the most healthy cuisines in the world and gain some practical skills needed to prepare its flagship dishes. The partcipants had a chance to exchange experiences, learn about the value of plant-based alternatives, interact with food researchers and, most importantly, co-create healthy meals that could be a part of their daily menus. Every workshop session ended with the participants sharing the meals prepared together, talking about the value of this experience to them and making resolutions for their on „Meatless Mondays”.
#Annual FoodAgenda is a communication project under the support of EIT Food. EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted. The initiative is made up of a consortium of key industry players, startups, research centres and universities from across Europe. It is one of eight Innovation Communities established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.
