Pre-university students often face significant uncertainty and difficulty when choosing a career path, as they must make decisions that will profoundly shape their future with limited practical experience and exposure to real-world disciplines. In this context, the establishment of a bridge between university-level knowledge and high school students can inspire new generations of university students and professionals.

To that end, the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain (UPV) organizes every year the UPV Campus Praktikum. This initiative aims to give the students the opportunity to participate in scientific activities organized by researchers and lecturers from the UPV. Therefore, students can develop an opinion about the different career alternatives and university life at UPV.

During the 2024/2025 course, the Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department participated in this project and organized a workshop for students interested in chemistry-related disciplines. Thus, students were introduced to fundamental concepts in chemistry and engineering through practical experiments and collaborative sessions. The topic of environmental protection was considered as a meaningful and accessible entry point, providing context and interest to the scientific content. Furthermore, this subject allowed to raise awareness about this important global challenge.

This communication presents the efforts of several members of the Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department of UPV to develop such as scientific workshop, centered on environmental protection, aiming at increasing the interest and motivation of pre-university students in the disciplines of chemistry and chemical engineering. During the sessions, the characterization of wastewater from different sources was assessed. Moreover, the students learned about different wastewater treatment strategies, such as membrane technology (including a membrane preparation stage), coagulation-flocculation, and active carbon. The included activities were designed to be adaptable, considering diverse academic backgrounds.

Thus, the key aspects to consider when designing activities and seminars for pre-university students will be outlined in this contribution. This includes the selection of relevant and engaging themes, balance between theory and practice, strategies for active participation, among others. The impact of such initiatives on students’ perception of science and their interest in pursuing scientific and technical careers will also be discussed.

Ultimately, this work aims to contribute to the development of effective educational outreach practices that connect academic activity with society and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Keywords: Workshop development, pre-universitary students, chemistry, chemical engineering, divulgation, environmental awareness.