Abstract:

The objective of this work was the design and implementation of a series of practical activities related to the circular economy that would awaken the interest of young students in scientific-technical university studies. The internships were designed for both secondary education and vocational training students, since both groups are willing to access university studies. Nevertheless, the practical activities were carried out only with secondary education students since the present work is framed in collaboration with secondary education programs.

In order to reach the objectives defined, the following stages were carried out to complete this work:
The first phase was the identification of the interests, knowledge and shortcomings of the students. Given that the activity was carried out with students from rural environments, the second phase consisted of the preparation of teaching material on the identification and characterization of the waste generated in the rural environment adapted to the educational level of students.

Once the students identified the high volume of waste generated in the rural environment, it was shown that it is possible to recover both matter and energy contained in this waste. To this end, during the third stage, teaching material was prepared on techniques for bio-valorization of agro-industrial waste.
With the information collected, a series of laboratory practices related to the main techniques of bio-valorization of agro-industrial waste were designed, and carried out with the students.

Through the implementation of this project, the following results were achieved:
­- Secondary school students were able to identify the potential use of agro-industrial waste within the framework of the circular economy.
­- The students learned the fundamentals of the main energy and material bio-recovery technologies that currently exist.
­- The students made contact with different experimental and characterization equipment, which allows them to know how to propose a preliminary process scheme for the recovery of agro-industrial waste generated in the rural environment, as well as to awaken their interest in both the minimization in the generation and in the recovery of these wastes.

In general, the students showed a high interest in both material and energy recovery aspects, being sensitive to both environmental problems. In addition, for secondary school students, doing internships at the University is a motivating activity and some of the students showed interest in continuing their training in university degrees related to the circular economy, as well as the importance of waste and its possible material and energy recovery.

Keywords:

Secondary Education, Circular economy, Practical activity, Environmental science and engineering.