Aimed especially at students served by social inclusion programs, the Digital Inclusion Program for Unicamp Newcomers (PIDIU) was created. The idea is to strengthen the loan of equipment necessary for remote academic activities. To this end, resources will be used to purchase around a thousand tablets.
According to the resolution to create PIDIU, priority will be awarded to the program for students entering their first access to an undergraduate course granted in the Student Support Service (SAE) Scholarship Selection Process, and those entering through the Higher Interdisciplinary Training (ProFIS). For ProFis/2021 entrants, it will be possible to assist everyone who declares they need the loan. New SAE scholarship holders will be assisted considering their position in the SAE selection process.
After enrollment and the scholarship selection process, the student who meets the criteria will be contacted to express their opinion regarding the loan. The delivery of the purchased equipment will be managed by the Volunteers of Unicamp's Executive Directorate of Human Rights. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the group has responded to more than 900 requests to loan equipment and chips to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The resources for the tablets come from the Extracurricular Student Activities Support Program (PAAEEC) balance. For professor Dora Maria Grassi Kassisse, advisor to the Rector's Office and one of those responsible for PIDIU, it is essential that students are able to remain active, both to take the subjects and to be informed and connected with the University. “Digital inclusion is important and it is also important for students to remain active and connected to the University, maintaining ties, so that they do not become discouraged,” she assesses.
The teacher also remembers that the effort for digital inclusion began with the migration to remote teaching, in March 2020. “We created the volunteer group for various actions, such as loaning equipment. Most of our students used computers and the Unicamp network to study, do lessons and activities, so we began to mobilize to achieve digital inclusion.”
Donation campaign continues
In addition to using its own resources for digital inclusion, Unicamp also maintains a campaign for financial and equipment donations, which aims to further expand the possibility of digital inclusion for students. Professor Dora emphasizes that it is essential that the campaign continues to be strengthened to help address the lack of equipment, which is one of the biggest challenges posed by remote teaching.
Visit the campaign website and find out how to help: https://ajude.unicamp.br/aprendizado/
Access the Resolution GR11/2021 which establishes the Digital Inclusion Program for Unicamp Entrants (PIDIU)
