IREC has launched the first edition of the Gara CHECK Awards, a competition for schools across Catalonia that combines energy education, critical thinking and audiovisual communication. The initiative aims to encourage students to learn more about the energy transition and renewable energies while developing the skills needed to identify and challenge misinformation through scientific evidence using multimedia tools.

The competition is open to primary school students (5th and 6th grade), and secondary school students (1st and 2nd year). Participants must create a short multimedia piece in Catalan fact-checking a myth related to renewable energy or energy efficiency, based on scientific evidence. Primary school teams will produce an audio piece, while secondary school teams will create a TV news report, video.

Topics may include solar and wind energy, batteries and energy storage, hydrogen, energy communities, artificial intelligence and energy consumption, and household energy use.

To support teachers and students, IREC provides educational support materials and classroom activities on renewable energy to help participants prepare their entries.

The call for entries opens on 1 February 2027, with submissions accepted until 2 April 2027. Participation will be through the official registration form, following the competition rules available below.

Acknowledgements (in Spanish):  Gara CHECK (FCT-25-22479) cuenta con la colaboración de la Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología – Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.