Special recognition of the Croatian Museum Association awarded to Dr. Martina Podnar Lešić, curator of HPM
Our curator Dr. Martina Podnar Lešić, with her program CSI:HPM – Crime in the Chicken Coop, is the recipient of special recognition from the Croatian Museum Association for a pedagogical and educational project.
Explanation of the Jury of the Croatian Museum Association for the Special Recognition for a pedagogical and educational project:
The cycle of pedagogical and educational workshops CSI:HPM – Crime in the Chicken Coop was first carried out at the Croatian Natural History Museum in 2013, and from the enthusiastic reactions of the participants it was clear that this workshop would become a permanent and indispensable part of the Museum’s educational activities.
Carefully designed and enriched over the years with new attractive content, this workshop is the project of Dr. Martina Podnar Lešić, senior curator and molecular biologist, who brings this complex scientific discipline closer to the public.
The basic idea of the workshop was to bring visitors closer to the secret code hidden in the DNA molecule and introduce them to the exciting world of molecular biology in a way that allows them to become active participants themselves.
The need for this type of educational program arose from the fact that concepts such as DNA, genes and mutations have long no longer been reserved only for scientists in molecular genetics laboratories.
In 2016, the workshop was raised to a higher level by including a large number of high school students, especially final-year students, and by further adapting the content and activities to this user group.
Carefully designed and diverse creative DNA games represent a powerful didactic tool that encourages participants’ interest and helps them master the topic.
For all these reasons, the Jury awards special recognition for the realized pedagogical and educational program to Martina Podnar Lešić for the cycle of workshops CSI:HPM – Crime in the Chicken Coop.