Guatemalan university students have developed a unique project combining music and environmental awareness, inspired by Antarctica. Students from the Bachelor’s program in Composition and Music Production at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) created original musical pieces reflecting their interpretations of the polar continent.
Since 1991, Guatemala has participated in the Antarctic Treaty, allowing national institutions to access samples from Antarctica for scientific research. This international involvement has supported educational and artistic initiatives related to polar studies.
In August 2025, Guatemala hosted an event aimed at fostering collaboration among scientists, educators, and diplomats to promote Antarctic conservation. The event was held with support from local organizations and encouraged multidisciplinary cooperation between science, education, and the arts.
M.Sc. Gerardo Estrada, director of Biological Collections and coordinator of the “Ecology for Everyone” course at UVG’s Department of Biology, led a project titled “Integration of music in promoting IPOGUA’s environmental work: an artistic expression and environmental awareness project.” Estrada stated that the goal was to connect students with ecology through their own artistic disciplines. He said: “There were those who focused on the scenic beauty of the continent, using impressive images as backgrounds for their creations. A creative example was a student who drew inspiration from a penguin in a famous video game. His composition adopted a video game sound with Antarctic nuances while the penguin spun over polar backgrounds.”
Students produced videos exploring topics such as melting ice due to climate change or incorporating photos of animals and biodiversity found in IPOGUA’s collections in Guatemala. Each piece aimed to raise environmental awareness through art.
Estrada presented this project at both the XXV Meeting of Latin American Antarctic Historians and the IX Forum on Antarctic Education. He emphasized that art—especially music—served as an effective tool for raising environmental consciousness and sharing information about IPOGUA’s work: “Dissemination is crucial because many people are unaware of Guatemalan representation on the white continent and its scientific benefits,” he explained.
The initiative also offered students practical experience applying their skills with an environmental focus. According to Estrada: “The interest of some congress attendees centered on scoring documentaries about Antarctica or commemorative songs, which creates important job opportunities for young people.”
Collaborative projects like this enable UVG students to engage in real-world applications of their academic knowledge across disciplines.
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