Before entering a laboratory, observing a cell under a microscope or discovering how a 3D printer works, 93 students from the 8th and 9th grades of elementary school from 32 municipal public schools in Campinas took the first step in an experience that could change the way they see university and inspire them to pursue a future in higher education. Participants in the 8th edition of Science & Art in the Winter Holidays (Cafin), the students began this Monday (13) a week of activities designed to awaken new interests and bring them closer to university life.
A project of the Vice-Rectorate for Research (PRP), in partnership with the Education Department of the Municipality of Campinas, the program offers participants the opportunity to explore different areas of knowledge through workshops led by Unicamp professors. At the opening of the event, the Vice-Rector for Research, Ana Frattini, highlighted that the program was designed to spark students' curiosity and broaden their horizons at an important time in their school life.
“The event is an opportunity for them to discover the academic world, learn about the research and artistic activities developed at Unicamp, and identify what they enjoy. We want them to look to the future and feel invited to study here. Today, more than 50% of our students come from public schools, so this is a possible path for them,” he emphasized.
According to Frattini, the workshops are renewed each year to offer participants varied experiences. "The goal is for them to take advantage of this experience and bring back to their schools some of what they saw and learned."
Responsible for organizing the participation of students from the municipal school system in the program, Professor Fernando Martins emphasized that the week also represents an opportunity for interaction and discovery. “It’s very special to be able to get to know the university, the people, have lunch in the cafeteria, visit the laboratories, and learn about the research being done here. I tell them to live this experience intensely, to take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions, and to talk to those who study and work at Unicamp.”
In addition to the workshops, the project relies on the participation of Unicamp students as monitors. Those who closely follow the students also see the event as an opportunity for transformation. Lucas Buscaratti, a biologist and doctoral student at the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) and monitor of the program for the fourth consecutive year, says he feels motivated by the contact between public schools and the university. “Seeing public school students inside the university is very important to me. Many of them have never had contact with this environment, just as I haven't either. The sparkle in their eyes is what makes me come back every year. It's a very intense week, which leaves you longing for more. But there's the expectation that they will return in the future as Unicamp students.”
Isabelle Belarmino da Silva, a first-year undergraduate student in Speech Therapy, is participating in the project for the first time as a monitor. A former student of the Higher Interdisciplinary Training Program (Profis), she believes that sharing her journey can help participants see new possibilities. “Being able to tell a little about my story and show what life is like at university is very special. I hope they leave here encouraged to continue studying and believing that this path can also be theirs.”
Among the students, the expectation is to make the most of the week. Michelle Mateus Ferreira, from the Municipal Elementary School (Emef) Professora Maria de Fátima Faria Área, is visiting Unicamp for the first time and hopes to get to know the university better throughout the week. "I'm very excited to participate in the workshops," she said.
Maria Luiza Amarante Pedro, from the Presidente Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco Elementary School, who has already visited Unicamp with the musical project Primeira Nota, wants to get to know the university better. "I want to take advantage of this new opportunity to explore the campus more."
The Science & Art in Winter program began with a microscope exploration workshop, led by Professor Danilo Ciccone Miguel from the Institute of Biology (IB). This Tuesday morning, science and art will be explored through 3D printing, a workshop coordinated by Professor José Luiz Dávila Sánchez from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FEM); in the afternoon, the topic will be the attraction of magnets, with Professor Fanny Béron from the Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics (IFGW).
On Wednesday morning, Professor Juliana Fracarolli, from the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering (Feagri), will give a workshop on the analysis and processing of strawberries, and in the afternoon, the topic will be the anatomy of the human body when running, with Professor Paulo Henrique Caria, from the IB.
On Thursday, the morning workshop addresses resistance, anti-racism, and inequality, with Professor Guilherme Jotto Kawachi from the Center for Language Teaching (CEL). In the afternoon, Professor Gildo Girotto Júnior from the Institute of Chemistry (IQ) will lead a workshop on the colors of nature, covering natural pigments and dyes. The program concludes on Friday with a workshop on the architecture of nature and the concept of "sponge cities," with Professor Michela Borges from the IB, before the closing ceremony and certificate presentation.
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