admin Christina Balbas, the Co-Founder and CEO of a reputed company, Escuelab has set an example in the modern industry for everyone to see. She has turned her love for science and communication into her professional career.
Talking About Escuelab
Escuelab is a social project which focuses on the access to practical and interactive scientific education which encourages careers, as well as dispels traditional views about scientists among the Spanish students.
Christina conceived this idea when she was still pursuing her doctoral studies at the Spanish National Cancer Institute, where she developed a growing interest in outreach initiatives. However, she later realised that a lot of schools were not counted for these programmes because of limited availability. This exclusion alongside with the fact that STEM degrees in Spain saw a 5% drop in student enrollment between the years 2003 and 2012 was something that ignited a spark in her to look for more ways to bridge this gap.
After giving a thought to this issue, Christina formed a team of experts who are experienced in science, education as well as social entrepreneurship. She expresses her opinion by saying, “Together, we spent a couple of years looking at the underlying causes of this lack of interest in STEM. We also studied market opportunities and talked to stakeholders, piloting a few workshops in different contexts. Once we were certain there was a need we could meet and we had packaged our methodology into different lines of business, we were confident Escuelab could succeed and officially launched it.”
The Thrilling Story in the Making of a Business Leader
Christina Balbas, the hero of our story, commenced her journey in the world of science and communication in Burgos, Spain. She has always nurtured this interest in these two fields since a very young age. She started to immerse herself in high level research which led her to an excellent path which was filled with challenges and opportunities ultimately guiding her towards the creation of Escuelab.
In the year 2006, Christina’s worldview reached great heights remarkably when she was honoured with a scholarship to study the final years of high school at the United World College of Hong Kong. This experience led her to assorted possibilities which took her beyond her hometown. Due to this, she finally saw the profound impact that quality education can have over individuals and communities as a whole.
Her academic journey led her to Princeton University where she majored in Molecular Biology. At Princeton, she immersed herself in the world of research but she knew she still had a lot to learn. Her interest in biomedicine led her back to Spain, where she embarked on a PhD at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center. During her graduate studies, Cristina not only engaged in high-level research but also took courses in Science Journalism and Communication, participating in numerous public outreach activities. These experiences solidified her belief in the power of communication to make science accessible and engaging.
Despite her research career, Christina noticed a troubling trend: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) degrees were being chosen by 5% fewer students in Spain between 2003 and 2012 (Eurostat, 2013). Moreover, many schools were excluded from science outreach activities due to limited availability, depriving countless students of the opportunity to engage with science in a meaningful way. This became the seed for what would eventually grow into Escuelab.
Christina’s Vision for the Company
Christina had high hopes for her company and she worked day and night to make it work. She wanted to create a platform where individuals would get high quality, practical, and interactive science education accessible to all Spanish students no matter what their socio-economic background was. She had planned this for children aged 4 to 14, and regarding this subject she said, “We produce educational materials and implement them in our non-formal education programs. Both our methodology and business model are special. We have designed a unique methodology based on neuro-education research, and we apply it to our workshops, extracurricular science clubs, and holiday day and residential science camps. Our pricing policies are adjusted to the socio-economic level of attending students, and we have devised a scholarship scheme so that students at risk of socio-economic vulnerability can attend our programs free of charge.”
As the co-founder, Christina recruited founding members and trained a few facilitators and team members which was required for the development of this venture. She also represented her project in assorted spheres to make it popular.
Cristina’s vision for Escuelab extends beyond the borders of Spain. She envisions using the Escuelab platform to reach all Spanish-speaking children worldwide, providing them with access to high-quality STEM education regardless of their socio-economic background. This global perspective is reflective of Cristina’s belief in the transformative power of education.
A Word for the Budding Entrepreneurs and Enthusiasts
Christina, when asked to encourage the young generation, said that, “I would advise them to identify their weak points and surround themselves with team members who are stronger than them in those areas. I would also tell them to keep their eyes and ears open and are willing to constantly learn from other people and projects.”
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