Unicamp opened, this Wednesday (10), the 20th edition of Ciência e Arte nas Férias (CAF) – a program in which students from public schools in Campinas, Limeira and Piracicaba participate in a series of research activities in laboratories at the University . This year, the program will be attended by 115 male and female students from 41 public high schools in the three municipalities.
Held annually during the month of January, the CAF aims to awaken young talents for scientific research and artistic activities. The event proposes an immersion in practical activities in which there is contact with the current challenges of science, the methodology of scientific work, the environment of research laboratories and different forms of artistic expression. All this, under the guidance of professors and researchers from Unicamp. The opening lecture “Interdisciplinarity and Multiple Intelligences” was given by professor Ana Elisa Assis.
The dean of Research and acting dean of Unicamp, professor João Marcos Travassos Romano, celebrated the 20th edition of CAF and thanked the students for their participation. “This University is for you. In fact, this University belongs to you, after all, we are supported by the taxes that all São Paulo citizens pay”, he said. “Therefore, it is our duty to promote this return.”
Romano recalled that research requires teamwork because of this and made an exhortation: “Cultivate the sense of community, of collective work, because, as João Cabral de Melo Neto wrote, 'a rooster alone cannot weave a morning'”.
Leticia dos Santos Souza, 17 years old, was one of the first to arrive for the opening of CAF. A student at Pedro Salvetti Netto State School, she says that before 7:30 am she had already left her home in Jardim Capivari, in the Ouro Verde region, in Campinas. “I intend to study here at Unicamp and I came for the opportunity. I want to get to know the University, feel the atmosphere”, explained the student, who arrived early along with her friends Juliana Souza de Oliveira, Natália Vanin and Larissa Trevisan – all from Pedro Salvetti.
Student Kawane Leite dos Santos studies at Etec (State Technical School) Trajano Camargo, in Limeira, and said she was excited to participate in the project. “I think it will be a very good experience for me,” said she, who plans to study physical education.
Kawã Silva, who attends Etec Cel. Fernando Febeliano da Costa, in Piracicaba, says that he has not yet chosen his career. He believes, however, that it must be something linked to computing. He said he was excited about participating in CAF. “I think this can be very important for the development of students.”
At the opening ceremony, the dean of Undergraduate Studies at Unicamp, professor Ivan Toro, thanked and made a request. “In addition to thanking each one of you for being there, I want to ask a favor,” he said. “That you spread [this experience] around the school where you study, that you share it with your friends and colleagues: Unicamp is a public school and wants to have public school students here,” he said.
“Many people don’t even look for the Unicamp Entrance Exam because they consider that this is not a place for public school students. But we warn you: we have several forms of entry, such as Profis [Higher Interdisciplinary Training Program], for example. We adopted stimulus measures, such as fee exemptions for needy students. And yet, we have few people competing for these positions,” said Toro. “But I can say: we have close to 20 thousand students and almost 50% of them come from public schools.”
The Assistant Secretary of Education of Campinas, Luiz Roberto Marighetti, called on students to face the challenge of seeking a place at a public university. “This is a public space and society needs to occupy this space. And not just in January. The public university is an asset to all of us and it must be accessible – and it is – to students from all social classes,” he stated.
Professor Marco Aurélio Cremasco, advisor to the Dean of Extension and Culture (Proec) at Unicamp, highlighted the importance of CAF. “A program like this brings you [students] as hope. You are our hope and thank you very much for fueling our hope,” he said.
Professor Patricia Adolf Lutz, regional director of Campinas Oeste Education, stated that strengthening relations between the university and the state education network is “fundamental”. And she celebrated the students’ interest. “You being here, during a month of vacation, is already a sign of success,” she said. “A success for the program and a personal success for each of you.”
