Brazil Advances Science Education with Interactive Centers and Federal-Municipal Partnerships
Brazil boosts hands-on science education through UFPA's interactive center and Niterói's partnership to create science labs in schools.
- • Cicta at UFPA offers interactive science activities to all ages, emphasizing practical learning.
- • Notable Cicta exhibits include electricity-generating bicycles and a solar projection telescope.
- • Niterói partners with the Federal Government to implement Mais Ciência na Escola in 12 schools starting 2026.
- • The program includes science labs, maker culture activities, teacher training, and scholarships.
Key details
Brazil is enhancing science and technology education through new initiatives that combine practical learning with interactive experiences. The Centro Interativo de Ciência e Tecnologia da Amazônia (Cicta) at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) offers immersive activities to various age groups, bridging classroom learning with hands-on science. Cicta features demonstration labs, an astronomy center, and interactive physics exhibits, including electricity-generating bicycles and a solar telescope for safe sun observation. Professor Luís Carlos Crispino, Cicta’s coordinator, highlights that such experiences help basic education students engage with concepts often perceived as distant from their studies. Meanwhile, in Niterói, a partnership between the municipal government and the Federal Government has launched the Mais Ciência na Escola program, which will create science and technology laboratories in 12 municipal schools. Scheduled for 2026, this program aims to foster scientific experimentation, digital literacy, and maker culture, complemented by teacher training and pedagogical resources. Drawing on successful local initiatives like the Clube Maker and Clube de Inovação, the project prioritizes interdisciplinary learning and practical activities to inspire innovation and scientific curiosity from an early age.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
