Students from the ATL program at APIST took part in a session of the "Meet a Scientist" initiative, held at Instituto Superior Técnico, focused on the theme "Minerals and Rocks in Our Daily Lives."

The session was led by Amélia Dionísio, Mining Engineer at Instituto Superior Técnico and researcher at CERENA – Centre for Natural Resources and the Environment. Using an interactive and sensory approach, participants were invited to observe, touch, and even smell different samples of minerals and rocks, learning to distinguish them through images and real materials.

Throughout the activity, several key geoscience concepts were introduced in a playful and engaging way, such as:

• The difference between a rock and a mineral
• The chemical composition of materials
• The crystalline structure that defines them

To wrap up, students took part in an educational board game, which helped consolidate the knowledge gained by identifying everyday objects that contain minerals and rocks in their composition.

This initiative once again showed that learning can—and should—be a fun and immersive experience, and that early hands-on contact with science is a powerful tool for discovery and inspiration.