Experiencias de socialización acerca de amenazas volcánicas en instituciones educativas del municipio de Cumbal (Nariño, Colombia)

With the aim of providing direct information about volcanoes and their hazards, several activities to promote awareness were accomplished targeting children in eight public schools ascribed to the Municipality of Cumbal (State of Nariño in southwestern Colombia). Activities included talks, practical exercises and outings, and used audiovisual aids with information on various volcanoes around the world, such as photographs of volcanic deposits from the region and scientific products like geologic maps and stratigraphic columns. Additionally, an educational video was produced by one of the authors (HGC, who was born in the Municipality of Cumbal and belongs to the Pastos ethnic group) in which a number of aspects of volcano science are explained using simple terms that were accessible to the audiences. The scientific knowledge was of interest to the easy-going students and their instructors despite the strong ethnic-pedagogical tradition in these institutions where instructors teach that everything around is sacred and mystical. The need to widen the coverage is acknowledged as well as the importance of keeping continuity of the activities and strengthening basic concepts to improve both assimilation of knowledge on volcanoes and their hazards and the impact from the activities of various institutions that work toward mitigating the effects of volcanic activity.