O Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) dedicates the month of October to countless activities dissemination and popularization of their projects and actions to society. During the Week National Science and Technology (SNCT), which took place throughout Brazil between October 17th and 23rd, 2017, ISD promoted lectures, round tables, open-door units, interactive and playful activities in the Cientec/UFRN. The SNCT theme, “Mathematics is in Everything!” served as the backdrop to all these activities.

The week began with the lecture “How mathematics helps to understand how the brain works”, presented by the research coordinator of the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience (IIN-ELS), Edgard Morya. This moment opened the activities of the SNCT of Rio Grande do Norte State Research Support Foundation (FAPERN) It's from Dom Nivaldo Monte City Park, in Natal (RN). look here the photo gallery.

During the 23rd and 24th of October, the IIN-ELS been to doors open to society, in Macaíba (RN). Visitors were able to deepen their knowledge of mathematics through fun activities related to the brain and nervous system. Highlights of this activity were visits from high school students from Bradesco Foundation João Pessoa (PB) and students of technical and undergraduate courses at Jundiaí Agricultural School (EAJ/UFRN).

You Science Education Centers (CECs) They also had open doors for partner public schools on the 25th and 26th of October, in the units of Natal (RN), Macaíba (RN) and Serrinha (BA). Students from the CECs' science education workshops showed their work to colleagues who could join the Centers next year.

O CEC Serrinha he also participated, on the 24th, 25th and 26th of October, in the 5th Scientific Initiation Exhibition at the Federal Institute of Bahia. In addition to exhibiting work from the workshops at a stand at the event, the students presented the poster entitled: “Food waste from school lunches – survey at the Serr Scientific Education Centerha.” The work is the result of a scientific article written by the students themselves, under the guidance of teachers from the Science and Environment Workshop.

ISD units gathered at Cientec / UFRN 2017

One of the highlights of the activities of the Santos Dumont Institute at SNCT in recent years is the work developed in UFRN Science, Technology and Culture Week (Cientec). This is the moment when all ISD units in Rio Grande do Norte present joint actions, in Natal (RN). In addition to the works exhibited to hundreds of people at stands, on October 25th, two lectures were presented on the evening of the 26th. The first of them was titled “Responsibility of educators for the eradication of 'mathematical illiteracy': experiences developed in the workshops of Scientific Education Centers (CECs)”. The second, coordinated by Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (CEPS), it was titled: “The mathematics present in maternal and child mortality indicators: joining efforts to reduce the problem”.

For the coordinator of ISD actions at SNCT and researcher at IIN-ELS, Mariana Araujo, what the Institution seeks throughout this week is to develop activities that show, in a simple and playful way, that the scientific knowledge is related to people's lives and can be understood by everyone. “Furthermore, these activities are directly linked to the ISD mission, which is promote education for life and contribute to the fairer and more humane transformation of Brazilian social reality”, adds Araújo.

The ISD activities at SNCT 2017 ended with two lectures given by students from the Postgraduate Program in Neuroengineering at IIN-ELS. The first of them, on October 25th, was called: “Everyone learns: contributions of neuroscience to an inclusive school” and was held in São José de Mipibu (RN). The other, “Arduino Platform: a free software and hardware project”, took place after SNCT, on November 7, 2017. This presentation opened the Robotics Course promoted by ISD and FAPERN to high school students.

The general director of ISD, Theodoro Paraschiva highlights the engagement and team work developed by the Institute's professionals during the SNCT. “The motivation and excitement of the team is something very beautiful to see, it is a great opportunity to interact, work together, and truly be a single Institute”, comments Paraschiva. In 2018 there is much more!