The 2026 Summer Workshops have already begun, with a programme focused on exploring the diversity of life on our planet. During the first few days, participants have immersed themselves in the theme of the richness of the kingdoms of life, combining scientific, creative and recreational activities.
During this first week, and to foster teamwork, each group chose its name, designed its own flag and created a shared code of conduct.
The first major mission of the workshops focused on investigating the origin of Earth and life itself. By solving a scientific mystery, participants travelled millions of years into the past to meet our great-great-great-great-great ancestor: LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor), considered the last universal common ancestor of all living beings. As part of the activity, each child imagined and created their own version of LUCA, contributing to a collective mural illustrating the origins of life on our planet.
Participants also stepped into the role of scientists. Working in research teams, they prepared presentations on different topics related to space and shared them with their fellow participants, demonstrating the value of collaborative work and shared learning.
As is tradition in the Summer Workshops, science was combined with outdoor and recreational activities. Throughout the week, the children took part in sports, enjoyed water games to cool off from the summer heat, and began an observation route to start building their Catalogue of Life, a project that encourages them to discover and document the biodiversity around them.
This is only the beginning! Each week, the workshops will focus on a different group of living organisms, from bacteria to mammals, including arthropods, birds and monerans… the adventure continues!
