2023-09-15 15:25:47
The team is a semi-finalist in the 10th edition of Solve For Tomorrow Brasil, Samsung’s corporate citizenship program that encourages the creation of projects by public schools
Image for illustration purposes only.
A group of five students from the Antero Câmara Penha Teaching Center, in the Jacaré community, in Penalva, Maranhão, was among the 20 semi-finalists in the 10th edition of Solve For Tomorrow Brasil, with a project production of biogas and biofertilizer as a sustainable alternative for the community. Samsung’s corporate citizenship program is known for encouraging students and teachers in the public school system to create solutions to real demands using the STEM approach (acronym in English for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
The investigative and evaluative project aims to produce biogas through vegetation typical of the region, called Eichhornia crassipes – also known as water hyacinth – which is associated with other local biomass. The project aims to benefit the community with low purchasing power, as well as reducing pollution caused by common cooking gas and the burning of wood and other components. Initially, to better define how this biogas will be produced, the team made up of five 1st year high school students sought to understand the size of the vegetation found in the rural community where the school is located.
According to Geovane Santos Muniz, biology teacher and team advisor, the idea arose from work on the students’ curriculum within the theme of sustainability, in which the group had their first contact with projects involving the study of microorganisms. “First we had to carry out some experiments and carried out field research with the involvement of the rural community itself. An important differentiator of the project is the goal of reducing the use of plastic, which is why we reused PET bottles in the construction of our prototype. Additionally, we use the school garden, which we call the teaching garden, to carry out experiments with fertilizers,” he explains.
“The solution presented by Penalva students shows how science and creativity make a difference in people’s lives. And it is very gratifying to see how Solve For Tomorrow Brasil has become an important tool not only to contribute to the academic development of these young students, but also to solve problems and demands that truly impact everyday life in their communities”, says Anna Karina Pinto, director of Corporate Marketing at Samsung Brazil. “Solve For Tomorrow is an initiative that reflects Samsung’s global corporate citizenship vision – ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, which contributes to the training of young students and invests in solutions that have a positive impact on society and the planet”.
“The Penalva team’s project puts into practice fundamental precepts of Solve for Tomorrow Brasil, such as youth protagonism, creativity, innovation and sustainability”, highlights Beatriz Cortese, Executive Director of Cenpec, the organization responsible for the general coordination of the program. “It is a project that looks at the challenges and potential of the territory, and that relates the content worked at school with the possibility of solving real problems. It is very gratifying to see public schools doing science with the aim of improving everyone’s lives.”
The team has already carried out at least three tests and all with very positive results. The group is mainly checking the volume factors of the biomass used in the production of biogas. “I was very optimistic about the result, but we continued working to improve. We still have important steps to complete and we have high expectations regarding the use of this idea in the community. In this case, we will need a larger prototype, like a stove, and we are working hard to achieve these goals”, says Geovane.
The teacher says that the students were very happy and surprised to stand out among the 20 semifinalists in the program. “The whole school was celebrating. We are representing our state, despite the limitations of a public school in the rural area of Baixada Maranhão. It is a pleasure to participate in Solve For Tomorrow Brasil, as it is a program that encourages and encourages schools and those involved in the projects. It is very motivating, mainly because we put these students, who often lack scientific experience, in contact with research and science in a practical way. I believe that we will come out of this experience with a very rich baggage. Furthermore, the Cenpec and Samsung team has given us all their attention and support. It has been very rewarding.”
About Solve For Tomorrow
Solve For Tomorrow has been in Brazil since 2014 and, in the current edition, has a diverse program made up of webinars, workshops and mentoring to help participants achieve their goals by applying possible improvements to their projects. In total, the initiative has already involved 173 thousand students, more than 36 thousand teachers, and more than 6,600 public schools. And, in 2023, it recorded an increase of 50.92% in number of enrolled studentscompared to the previous year.
The Brazilian edition of Solve For Tomorrow has a network of partners, such as the representation in Brazil of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO in Brazil), the Latin American Network for Education (Reduca) and from the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture in Brazil (OEI), in addition to the support of the National Council of Education Secretaries (Consed) and the general coordination of Cenpec.
To find out more about the program, visit https://respostasparaoamanha.com.br/ or follow Solve For Tomorrow on social media. The initiative is present in Facebook, Instagram e YouTube.
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