After a month of intense academic activities, 134 students from 46 public schools in the Campinas region participated in the closing of the Science & Art on Vacation (CAF) program, on Friday afternoon (2). The event filled the main hall of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) at Unicamp. Edition 14 brought together 56 projects (45 individual projects and 11 workshops). That program, which historically takes place in January, during the school summer holidays, aims to involve them (from an early age) in practical activities where there is contact with the current challenges of science, the methodology of scientific work, the human environment of research laboratories and different forms of artistic expression.
The dean of research at Unicamp, professor Munir Skaf, host of the ceremony, stated that this project aims to awaken young talents for scientific research and artistic activities. "These activities Today they occur largely due to spontaneous demand. There is even a greater supply in the sciences and arts than we can finance and accommodate within the University”, he revealed.
For Munir Skaf, this is a fundamental project for young people in high school, in this period of adolescence when they are discovering, aspiring and looking for a university to study, as they are already thinking about their professional future as adults. “So, the participation of these young people, especially in this first contact with the university community (researchers, students and staff), demystifies some of this barrier that Unicamp is unattainable”, he commented. “We need to break with this culture. And this project is one of the factors that contribute to this paradigm shift.”
The dean emphasized that PRP has numerous activities that include a more professional part of research. But it also involves a very important aspect, which is putting the public in contact with scientific research. “It's like a diffusion activity, disseminating knowledge to an age group that is able to receive this type of information. Unicamp seeks to encourage and share this experience with them.”
Monitor Marcos Adriano Vaz, in charge of speaking, encouraged the students to continue in the search for knowledge. “Take with you everything you are learning. In 2015, I was in the same position as you when I decided I wanted to be a scientist. I went through ProFis (Higher Interdisciplinary Training Program) and now I am an undergraduate Medicine student at Unicamp. I achieved. So fight with all your strength”, she invited.
Projects
Also monitors Leonardo Alves and Luciana de Aguiar developed a project with the robotics study group at Unicamp. They offered a workshop entitled “Building an exploring robot”, with the guidance of professor at the Computing Institute (IC) Edson Borin. They already offer this workshop to other schools in the region, including one in the São Martinho neighborhood and another at Unicamp's Cursinho Exato (a popular course).
Luciana (student at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering) says that it is an interface to facilitate the programming of a robot that avoids obstacles and that is able to "explore" environments, the explorer robot. He reaches places where humans cannot reach. An example of this are the robots sent to Mars, for different types of research. The students were very excited, she said. The intention was to bring a simplified version, in order to introduce robotics concepts”, adds Leonardo, an IC student. “One sensor identifies another. So we had an explorer robot battle.”
After disbanding the CAF closing table, the students showed a video they produced during that month and there was a talk by the head of the Permanent Commission for Entrance Exams from Unicamp, professor and historian José Alves, in which he addressed the different ways of entering the University. Next, there was a poster session produced by CAF participating students, promoted by Dean of Research.
