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Unicamp Newspaper - May 2000

page 8

EXTENSION
Cotuca extends his hands

Technical College hosts initiatives that have a positive impact on society

RAQUEL DO CARMO SANTOS

Etraining school that has been dedicated to training professionals for the industry for many decades, Unicamp's Col�gio Técnico de Campinas (Cotuca) is now focusing on socialization of its infrastructure. Projects aimed at bringing people closer to society in general, developed on the College's premises, have achieved great repercussions and made a positive impact on the community. "We are in line with the University's current policy of reinforcing its importance within society", explains the director of Cotuca, professor Michel Sadalla Filho. For him, this vocation is something natural and desirable for all sectors of the institution.

The projects hosted by Cotuca range from courses offered by non-profit entities to work developed by professors from the University itself. Last year, for example, Cotuca hosted a qualification course for around 345 young and unemployed people promoted by the Secretariat of State and Labor Relations (Sert) and coordinated by the professor at the Institute of Geosciences, Ruy Quadros. With the College as the executor of the educational part and involving other institutions, quick courses in Basic Computing and Electrical Installations were offered. Courses carried out by Fundacentro, an agency linked to the Ministry of Labor, last year and also this year, in partnership with Unicamp's Occupational Safety Service are also included in the schedule of activities .

For at least two semesters, the Update Collaborations – organized by the Vice-Rector of Extension and Community Affairs and the Brazil 500 years Commission – also constitute a clear example of the transfer of knowledge to the population. An audience of 250 teachers from the public education network attend lectures with renowned experts from the University.

Another project that is in its second year of activities at Cotuca is the Social Integration Educational Project (PEIS) (see box below). Having approved its installation at the College unanimously in the Congregation and coordinated by the professor at the Faculty of Education, S�nia Giubilei, the PEIS involves 120 students aged between 18 and 82, who are preparing to take exams in the State's supplementary exams.

The "Cultivating Joy" campaign, which the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Gira Sonhos carries out (see box alongside) in partnership with Unicamp and the Municipal Department of Education, also m is among the activities carried out on Cotuca's premises. This is a project to train "teachers of joy", a term proposed by writer Rubem Alves. The course is aimed at professionals from the public education network and the idea is to awaken, in these teachers' students, reflections on human values ​​and the recognition of the importance of joy and self-esteem. In total, representatives from 25 early childhood education schools participate in the training course. As the event has a multiplier effect, it is equivalent to saying that the campaign reaches around 400 teachers, reaching around 5.000 children between the ages of 4 and 6 throughout the year.

PEIS - on the CV, dignity
The Social Integration Educational Project (PEIS) has been working with literacy classes for young people and adults for five years - a part little remembered by the authorities and even in the institutions' curricula of higher education – as well as preparing them for the supplementary exams for the 5th to 8th grade of elementary school and for the high school exams. PEIS is coordinated by professor S�nia Giubilei, from the Faculty of Education, who has been working on the topic for 18 years. "The emphasis on activities is so that young people and adults understand how to be thinking people and mobilize themselves in the fight for their rights, permeating the work in the subject subjects of the exams: Portuguese, Mathematics, Biology, History ria and others", he says.

The project, which receives students from several cities in the Campinas region, such as Jaguari�na, Itatiba, Bragan�a Paulista, Vinhedo and Hortol�ndia, seeks to serve young/adult students in the classroom. Thus, the teacher can dialogue with the student in a constant exchange of knowledge, "since they both learn and teach", she comments.

Classes take place on Saturdays, from 8 am to 13:15 pm. All teachers are volunteers and have a link with the University – they are either graduates, or undergraduate and graduate students. They are unanimous in stating that it is not about philanthropy. For Physics doctoral student J�lio Crigimski Cezar, for example, who has been teaching Mathematics at PEIS for five years, it is a way of meeting his and other people's needs. "It's a must," she says. Fernanda Keila Marinho, master's student at the Institute of Geosciences and biology professor at PEIS, agrees. "Work like this is part of a commitment established within the University", he reinforces.

As for students, approval is general. Maria das Dores dos Santos, 54 years old, sought out the course because she had basic difficulties, such as catching the bus. But the course gave her much more: she gained confidence and firmness in her attitudes. "Studying makes all the difference for a person", he says. In the case of Maria Soares Romualdo, 80 years old, the situation is peculiar. Financial difficulties meant that she stopped studying at the age of 12 and was no longer able to return to school. The main encouragement now came from her 18-year-old granddaughter. "I really enjoy learning. I'm sorry I couldn't do this sooner."

Roberto Benedito de Oliveira, 45 years old, married with two children, found PEIS an opportunity to renew his knowledge. He already had a high school diploma, but he had difficulties with many mathematics and Portuguese questions. "I like the method. We feel motivated not to miss work", he explains. In his opinion, teachers have a very special teaching style, which captures attention. The project also has full approval from academia. The former Secretary of Education of Campinas and also a professor at Unicamp, Newton Bryan, considers that the PEIS proposal represents an intelligent way of solving the "big knot" that is established at the University: combining the academic work with broad social contribution. "We are not reflecting, but acting directly, it is a great achievement", he praises

Gira Sonhos
Each year, the NGO Gira Sonhos chooses a theme for its "Cultivating Values" campaign. This year the theme of Joy was selected. These campaigns aim to facilitate and guide educators in the development of activities that promote the experience of human values ​​inside and outside school. Since 1998, the NGO, formed by Unicamp students, alumni and professors and coordinated by Unicamp professor Arnoldo De Hoyos, from the Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Scientific Computing, has been developing projects in Social area of ​​"Development of Community Spirit" and the educational area focusing on themes that have as a premise cultivating values, using sensitization and awareness techniques. "These are very rewarding experiences and we see the growth that this produces in children", comments educator Claudia Pellegrino. In partnership with the Pre-Rectorate of Extension and Community Affairs at Unicamp, the NGO will hold four more meetings this semester with teachers from the Public Education Network of Campinas and the Region.

In this first stage of the campaign, the theme to be addressed is "Cultivating Joy with Nature". From this, teachers apply the theme in the classroom with students. Within this context, there is the so-called Rainbow or Support Multiplier Group, which, as the name itself suggests, supports the project's activities. In general, they are teachers who have already participated in other campaigns and therefore serve as a bridge between the school and the NGO.

Every week, they meet to discuss the next steps to be implemented. At the meeting, they report on their experiences during the week and how this is being reflected in their work in the classroom. Maria Inez Cardoso Petreca, from Emei do Bairro do Cafezinho, says that children are very involved with the topic. "We try to insert the program into the material to be given".

"This project complements, interacts and quality with the work we develop in the classroom", argues Magda Lima Coelho, teacher at Emei do Cambu�. She realizes that values, respect and harmony are quickly absorbed by students.