Metrics

2010–2012

32 Departmental Science Fairs
The program described an annual circuit of 32 departmental (state) science fairs.

6 Regional Science Fairs
6 regional fairs as part of the broader program structure.

1 National Science Fair and International Science Fair: 2012, Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The program also included national/international participation with children and regional/international youth in science, technology, and innovation fairs.

459 Partner Government Agencies/Public-Private Entities
National network of public, private, and nonprofit partners across Latin America and the Caribbean region.

Overview

Programa Ondas, housed within Colciencias, was designed to strengthen scientific curiosity, research skills, and innovation culture among children and young people in Colombia. Internal program materials describe it as a national effort to build research capacity from an early age, connect education with science and technology, and coordinate institutions across the country around youth-centered learning and inquiry.

My Role

During my time in the program, I supported a mix of logistics, coordination, communications, and international cooperation tasks. This role as Administrative Support Specialist, and the internship reports show direct involvement in regional and national science-fair processes, international-transfer work, documentation tracking, communications support, and follow-up with partners. institutions and key stakeholders.

Event Logistics & National Coordination

A major part of my work centered on the National Children and Youth Science, Technology, and Innovation Fair in Bogotá. The internship reports document responsibilities such as identifying participating children and departmental coordinators, managing lodging and administrative tracking, reviewing regional documentation, coordinating invitations for sponsors and public officials, supporting transportation and stand quotations, and helping organize participant records and event logistics under tight deadlines.

International Cooperation & Program Transfer

My work also supported the internationalization of Programa Ondas. The internship materials document involvement in cooperation and transfer processes with countries in Latin America, including Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Mexico, as well as support for videoconferences, mixed commissions, and follow-up tied to South-South technical cooperation. These materials also connect the program’s international work to science fairs and peer-learning exchanges across the region and the U.S.

Communications & Knowledge Sharing

In addition to logistics and coordination, I supported communication and visibility efforts for the program. My role also required a dissemination strategy through social media and national and international science networks, including outreach connected to Red Innovemos (UNESCO), RedPOP, and other STEM platforms. My first internship report also notes support for translating the Programa Ondas brochure into English for broader international communities and stakeholders.

Why It Mattered?

This experience helped shape the way I work today, with careful coordination, strong follow-through, and an ability to connect logistics, communication, and institutional relationships in service of a larger mission. In this case, that mission was helping strengthen a national culture of science, inquiry, and innovation for children and youth in Colombia and abroad. Program materials describe Ondas as a long-term investment in democratic participation, regional capacity-building, and scientific development from childhood onward.

Key Contributions:

• National-International fairs logistics and participant coordination

• Documentation tracking and administrative follow-up

• Hotel, transportation, and stand coordination

• Invitations and stakeholder communication

• International cooperation support/public-private partnerships

• Social media and science-network dissemination

• English translation support for program materials