Unicamp's institutional action in scientific Olympics, also called knowledge Olympics, is not recent. Several initiatives are already on the university's agenda throughout the year and, especially the month of May marks the opening of registrations or the first stages of tests. At this time, thousands of students from across the country are already competing in the Brazilian Informatics Olympiad (OBI) and History of Brazil (ONHB). But there is still time for elementary, secondary and technical school students to register for the Brazilian Robotics Olympiad (REV) and in the Unicamp Mathematics Olympiad (THE MU), the latter being regional and dissociated from national initiatives. The coordination of the Brazilian Geography Olympiad (THX), the most recent (only two years old), is also from Unicamp, with support from partner institutions. The competition is in the restructuring phase for 2017.
With or without support from public notices (generally, Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Ministry of Education), the Olympics have shaken up the daily lives of public and private schools throughout Brazil since 1978. The models vary according to the areas of knowledge, implementing institutions and objectives, which include encouraging learning through free choice, identifying young talents, training basic education teachers and preparing competitors at an international level. For professor Marcelo Firer, from Imecc (Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Scientific Computing), also a specialist in scientific olympiads and member of the OMU commission, “students learn spontaneously and therefore learn more, as do teachers, who They have the task of helping competitors with their preparation”, he highlights. According to Roberto Greco, from the Geosciences Institute, caution is needed when it comes to competition in Brazil. “European initiatives have less incentive to compete compared to the Brazilian Olympics. Here I observe a greater appeal from schools to use the Olympics as training for the entrance exam and even a marketing interest”, observes the coordinator of the Geography Olympiad.
Brazilian History Olympiad trains teachers
Launched in 2009, the National Olympiad in Brazilian History innovates in the study of the subject and trains teachers over the four months of selection. There are five online phases carried out in teams and which require simultaneous study. The best grades are called to an in-person essay test and, the next day, participate in a festive awards ceremony. On this occasion, usually in August, the teachers who accompany the teams take the opportunity to update their knowledge and use it in the classroom. Topics such as African History, Indigenous History, Military Dictatorship, among others, have already covered them. The initiative involves university monitors, teachers and “reflects a growing relationship between Unicamp and society”, confirms coordinator Cristina Meneguello, who created the ONHB at the time she was managing the Unicamp Exploratory Science Museum.
IC and Cotuca promote Robotics
With more than ten years of experience and free of charge, OBR is divided into two modalities: practical and theoretical, the latter currently coordinated by professor Cintia Aihara, from Cotuca (Unicamp Technical College). In 2016, this stage had more than 110 thousand participants, reaching more than 50% of municipalities in Brazil. The practical modality consists of a challenge in which robots, built by young people, enter the scene to solve it. In the 2017 edition, there are new features, such as the creation of a diary, blog or Facebook page to report and discuss projects, in addition to integration with the National Robotics Exhibition (MNR) at regional and state level. The Computing Institute, represented by professor Esther Colombini, who is now part of the OBR Superior Council, has also been involved in encouraging robotics in recent years. The Olympics is currently considered the biggest event in Latin America and qualifies teams for the RoboCup, a global reference in robotics.
Mathematics is the first at Unicamp
Lack of external funding, with no intention of preparing students for world medals, considered to be of an intermediate level of difficulty but possible to be completed by all students. This is the Unicamp Mathematics Olympiad (OMU), the oldest at the university, created in 1985 by professor Antônio Carlos do Patrocínio, from the Mathematics Department.
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Regional in nature (its original name until 1995 was the Unicamp Regional Mathematics Olympiad), the competition focuses on the development and mathematical training of those students who want to dedicate their efforts to an activity that can be arduous but rewarding: solving challenging problems with technique and creativity. . Organized into two levels: Alpha, for students in the 8th and 9th years of elementary school and Beta, for high school students, the test is carried out at school and marked by the class teacher, followed by two face-to-face phases, held at Unicamp.
Marcelo Firer is part of the OMU committee, made up of young graduates, some of whom are already medalists. “In the case of Mathematics, we present problems and challenges rather than exercises with defined paths and the result can be a union of knowledge. Often, the problem has no solution, just like in research”, explains the professor.
IT focuses on international competitions
The Brazilian Informatics Olympiad was born as a preparation for the International Informatics Olympiad, following an invitation from the Brazilian Computing Society in 1998. With a view to discovering talents in the area, some as young as 11 years old, and disseminating content that is rarely are in official school curricula, OBI grows by 10% to 20% annually. In 2016, there were 45 thousand registered.
The tests differ according to the age group and level of knowledge of the students. Younger students respond to logic concepts, while more experienced students are challenged in modeling and solving problems using programming knowledge. In the end, those who stand out receive a specific course at the Computing Institute for a week. “It is an excellent opportunity to disseminate science and present Unicamp Computing”, agree Ricardo Anido, general coordinator of OBI, and Rodolfo Azevedo, director of IC.
