Educators from municipal, state and federal public schools and students from kindergarten, from 4 years old, to high school have until the 28th of this month to enroll in the second edition of the Liga STEAM Award. Considered one of the largest educational events in the country in the STEAM approach, the initiative involves skills in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Entries can be made on the Liga STEAM website. Prizes will be awarded for projects developed by students and teachers to resolve relevant issues in their schools and communities, but it is not necessary to have a project ready to register, the Social Investment analyst at the ArcelorMittal Foundation, Catarina Lutero Mendes, told Agência Brasil. “The teachers will build the projects, with their students, throughout the initiative. They don’t need to have the project ready to apply for the prize”. Educators will participate in online training on the 27th of this month, at 7 pm, where they will learn about the STEAM approach, methodologies related to the development and elaboration of projects. Click here on the access link. “As they evolve in this training, they establish the stages with their students until, in the end, they have the most developed project”. The idea is for educators to present an outline or idea on July 9th. Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – Social Investment by ArcelorMittal, Catarina Lutero Mendes – Liga STEAM Award. Photo: Fundação AcelorMittal – Fundação AcelorMittal “They will put the theme, if they intend to research, the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), what the project will be related to, the number of students in the school environment, the guiding question of the project – why do you need to having a question of anchoring that calls the attention of these children”. The guiding question may be related to environmental problems of the school itself, of the community where they are inserted. Problems for which they intend to develop solutions. From the choice of theme and the guiding question that will guide the work, candidates for the award will enter the second phase, which is the development of the project. Elaboration The best ideas will be selected and, as of August 1st, the teachers will begin the elaboration and execution of the project with their students. On October 29, the teams will send final project reports, where they will report what was done, how it was done and results obtained. Catarina clarified that educators and students should propose solutions to community problems, but they do not necessarily need to solve problems. “Because, many times, they won’t be able to build a machine, for example, to separate garbage, but they can propose a machine that has this function. And they prototype just to experience what it would be like to put technology and engineering in favor of sustainable development”. There are also issues related to bullying, violence in schools, recalled Catarina. “Issues that go beyond the environment, but that are related to other larger issues that permeate this universe of the school”, she added. After the presentation of the reports, on October 29, a commission will select ten projects from each category (childhood education, which extends from 4 years of age to the second year of elementary school; elementary school, from the third to the ninth year; and teaching average). The authors will have to record videos telling how the experience was. On December 6th, the first three places in each category will be announced and awarded. The first-place school in early childhood education will have implemented a toy library, with toys and literature related to the STEAM approach, to help children develop these skills and competencies, related to creativity and curiosity. For primary and secondary education, light robotics laboratories will be implemented. For the second and third placed in each category, prizes are in cash, to be reversed in equipment and improvements for schools, in the respective amounts of R$ 10,000 and R$ 5,000 The 2023 Liga STEAM Award is the former ArcelorMittal Award Environment, existing for 31 years. In 2022, it became the Liga STEAM Award, with expansion to all of Brazil, and gained clothes more related to this approach. The name change aimed to show the relevance of the STEAM theme within education. This pedagogical approach is widespread in the United States, China, Australia and the United Kingdom and develops knowledge through active methodologies, such as project-based learning, based on the resolution of real day-to-day problems.
Agência Brasil
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