by Ana Madalina Ion

Last week on the 21^st of June I participated in a public engagement event that involve detaching children about mitochondria. I worked with children aged 9-10. I was in a team with another colleague. We had a brief explanation about what mitochondria are-small organelles inside the cells that produce energy; We told them what we use mitochondria for-thinking, moving, heart beating, growing, breathing and basically that all life couldn't exist without mitochondria. Then we showed them the scheme of mitochondria-very simplistic-and made together with them mitochondria out of playing doe. We had pieces of different colours and each kid was encouraged to choose his/her favourite colours to make the mitochondria. At the end of the session, we had a small recapitulation part with children, just to make sure that they learned the word and know what we use mitochondria for.