Nature's guardians. This is the name of the team made up of Professor Ana Carolina, her family and three of her children's colleagues who, together, developed a soil moisture sensor for proper and automatic irrigation of vegetables. The proposal was to think of a simple form of domestic cultivation that focused on reusing disposable materials and saving water.

To achieve promising results, the group carried out a division of functions, where each member helped within their area of ​​expertise. “The younger ones were responsible for choosing the container (...), the older ones, along with my husband and I, were responsible for idealizing what should be controlled (...) and Pedro Henrique was responsible for programming and system automation”, explained the mentor.

Green aisles, no-till and compost. Inspired by sustainable actions that are already in practice in the country, the team intends, in the future, to incorporate a control of exposure to the sun into the project. The idea is to solve problems by learning new technologies. “The expectation is that children can (...) share their ideas, (...) motivating themselves more and more to study”, said the mentor, who said she was looking forward to this year's in-person edition of Science Days, in March.

“We are proud to be part of a project that inspires so many young people to use their creativity to change the world! We believe that together we can show that it doesn't take much to make a positive impact on our society. All you need is willpower, unity and passion for what you do” – Jefferson Michaelis

Special thanks to FACENS that, once again and in an innovative way, offered us help and support for SDC in Sorocaba. We´re happy to see that this partnership is creating beautiful fruits to the next generations of great scientists and space explorers!

For more information about this Science Days edition, please follow Instagram for more updates: @sciencedaysoficial
 
- Luma Keily

Focusing on the STEM/New Space theme, Science Days returns with its in person activities to hold its sixth edition of annual events in Brazil. With the support of the Brazilian Space Agency and the American Embassy, ​​the initiative promises to bring innovative experiences related to the STEM area to young people of all ages.
 
According to the coordinator of the event's “Global Thinking” initiative, Carla Michaelis, the purpose is for the event to have a positive impact on the Brazilian´s educational system. In order to achieve such goal, the STEM & Space itinerary fair seeks to popularize science by providing free entry tickets. She stated that “Science Days embraces young people equally, without distinction.  Here, regardless of your social class or family income, you are always welcome to learn with us”.
 
Lectures, workshops, hands-on activities, and exhibitions will be just some of the programs offered during the days of the event. This year, participants will have the opportunity to send a postcard with a personalized illustration and message to space. “All cards will be aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, and upon completion of the mission, will return to their senders with a Flown in Space stamp,” announced one of SD’s industry partners and the director of the KSCIA International Space Academy in Brazil, José Carlos Filho.
 
In order to not jeopardize the schedule of activities planned for the students, the team is taking care of all the necessary precautions to adapt the event to the health policies linked to the covid-19 pandemic and the outbreak of the Omicron variant. “We want everyone attending Science Days to feel safe and enjoy all the awesome activities that we have prepared with great care, such as the award ceremony to the winners of the Science Days Challenge in 2021.”, explained the co-founder of the project, Jefferson Michaelis.
 
“It is with extreme happiness that we celebrate another year of Science Days in Brazil. Our trajectory, full of beautiful memories and great learning, inspires us to continue impacting the lives of countless students, with the certainty that this generation is responsible for the realization of a promising future. For me, there is nothing more gratifying than closely following the creativity used by these young people to think of action plans capable of solving many of the world's problems. This is our most precious gift, as it shows that, despite all the stones that have already appeared in our path, our goal is being achieved.” – Jefferson Michaelis
 
For more information about this Science Days edition, please access: http://www.sciencedays.org/sciencedays2022.html  
(or follow or Instagram account for more updates: @sciencedaysoficial)
 
- Luma Keily
 

Juliana Pitombeira, Isabela Costa, Pedro Carvalho and Laura Viera. With the help of professor Cícero Inácio, the students formed the Olimpianos Team and, together, won the first place of Science Days Challenge Sorocaba . In order to contribute to a society that is more attentive to the environment, the team used innovation and creativity to bring information in a playful and practical way.

The prominent place came thanks to the creation of an app. “The 'Reciclo' project proposes to create a gamified platform, which consists of using elements and techniques borrowed from games in areas where they were not originally present,” explained the mentor. Through the program developed by the group, citizens of the city of São Paulo, mainly in the metropolitan region of Sorocaba, have easy access to garbage collection points close to their homes, for example.

The recognition was the result of a long and precise research work. In direct contact with professionals in the areas of sustainability, marketing and economics, the students sought to analyze the environment in which they live and the needs it presents, and then try to solve the problems found. In the process, the team developed communication skills, autonomy, and social awareness.

For the project coordinator, “bringing scientific knowledge to basic education is very important”. The chance to observe the work of other participating teams favors the exchange of positive experiences, which contribute to building a better world. Cícero pointed out that “there are several projects in various areas of knowledge, which will enrich the students' knowledge, open their minds to possibilities that perhaps they didn't know existed”.

“The Science Days Challenge inspires innovation, teamwork and collaboration in schools where it is promoted due to the interest in this area, but also due to the interest of students in the topic. We can say that the Michaelis Foundation achieves its goal of making young people and adults fall in love with the scientific world.” said Maria Ines Carvalho with Facens

Special thanks to our partners, who help us, each edition, to share, with different schools, the importance of STEM teaching for social transformation.

To learn more about Science Days, visit: http://www.SciencedDays.org/

To learn more about Facens, visit: https://facens.br/

Luma Keily
International Correspondent

United by the same purpose, 21 students from the E.E. Roberto Pascoalick school formed the “Robotics and Sustainability” team. To recognize the importance of mechanical engineering in fundamental activities, the team sought to reproduce great inventions that are part of our daily routine, making use of recycled materials in the process.
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Cardboard, ice cream sticks, bottle caps and electronics scraps. These were just some of the objects collected by the students to build their projects. In a collaborative practice, the institution provided, for the 6th graders, a playful workshop, in which it was possible to transform the collected waste into intelligent systems, with motor functions.

For mentor Mário Henrique de Souza, the experience brought a valuable exchange of knowledge. “This interaction between students and Facens was very important in collaborating with current information and guidelines for our project,” he said. According to the University Center, the partnership with the Michaelis Foundation through the Science Days Challenge seeks to encourage young people to enter the aerospace market: "we could not have imagined how much the SDC would be praised".

After delivering the projects, Mário revealed the expectations of E.E. Roberto Pascoalick´s team for the Science Days in person in 2022. According to the teacher, having the opportunity to meet big names in the aerospace market will allow participants to create and develop “projects in the STEM area with the goal to spread and raise awareness of the importance of studying and learning about new professional opportunities in the space area”. “It is an honor for our team to participate in the Science Days Challenge proposal,” he pointed out, gladly.

“Through Science Days and Science Days Challenge, we have the challenging mission of introducing the 'New Space' to our new generation, seeking to always bring STEM education into the classroom in a playful way. Together, we want to show them that space science is incredibly enchanting to explore, even more so when you have your friends by your side in the process;" – Jefferson Michaelis

To learn more about Science Days, please visit: http://www.sciencedays.org/

Luma Keily
International Correspondent

For the curious, the surprise of who would be the special guest of the Space Talk that happened on November 26th, was revealed on Instagram: Patricia Feingold, from Maxar Space in the USA! The information only increased the anxiety of students who signed up to participate in the activity, but since those who “believe always achieve”, the long-awaited day finally arrived.
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 To the sound of “Do I wanna Know”, by the American band Artic Monkeys, the students were welcomed at the event, which began at 2 pm (GMT). Throughout her story, Patrícia brought to debate the issue of female presence in the universe of space exploration, aiming to break the paradigms that say that women have no space in the aerospace market.

To show that it is possible to achieve a prominent position in the sector, the guest presented the reality of her work routine. “I'm part of a team of 40-odd engineers and our role is to work in the 'dynamics and control' area, that is, we create algorithms to control the positioning of the satellites”, she explained. The engineering leader also took the opportunity to add the importance of innovating when seeking to enter the market.

In addition to the gender theme, Patrícia sought to bring to the participants the differentiated look that the company she works for has towards environmental issues. “In Brazil, we are engaged in a part of analyzing the impacts of reforestation in the Amazon Forest”, she pointed out, with the aim of presenting new areas of activity and interest that are within the aerospace universe. “Studying English is not easy, but I must tell you: the sky is not the limit, it’s the destination” she affirmed.

Green field. At the end of the video call, the guest spoke about the benefits of New Space and the opportunities and doors it opens for future space explorers. “Your generation has the power to transform the human species”, she told the students. “It's revolutionary,” she concluded. To end the mutual exchange experience with the students, she left a single tip: “Stay curious, don't hold back!”.

If the news of the end of the virtual meetings brought a feeling of nostalgia to this year's Space Talk participants, the news of an in-person event in March 2022 has already brought new expectations to the students. To participate in next years edition, it is necessary to pay attention to the Science Days social networks, as the announcement of the opening of registrations will be made through the project's platforms and online groups.

To learn more about the foundation and its activities, please access:  http://www.michaelisfoundation.org/
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 - Luma Keily
MFGE International Correspondent
 

A man of many abilities. Engineer, professor, entrepreneur, inventor and speaker, Rodrigo Simon, from Birigui, Brazil, was responsible for organizing, with the Michaelis Foundation, one of the largest Science Days of 2019 in Araçatuba, which was attended by more than 20 thousand people. Honored by the City Council with the diploma of honor to merit in 2016, Rodrigo has been encouraging STEM learning through numerous projects.

Married to Lucinéia dos Santos and father of two girls, Rodrigo's story begins in São Caetano do Sul. Due to a rare disease that prevented him from having contact with pollution, at the age of 4 he moved to Birigui. At the age of 10 he became interested in working with his father. “On weekends we would go to a farm, and I really enjoyed fishing. We had a fair there. I used to sell cheese on the street, fruit and even ice cream”, he said. At this point, selling had fascinated Rodrigo more than studying.

It was only at the age of 13 that this scenario began to change, when Rodrigo took a computer course and three years later he was offered a teaching position. The experience led him to study computer engineering at college and, after the mother of one of his classmates excluded him from a video for considering him a “poor student and example for his son”, Rodrigo decided to focus more on studying “to make my parents proud”.

A game changer worthy of admiration, Rodrigo had many difficulties studying the subject of electronics at the university , which is now the one he currently teaches at. In 2017, through the faculty where he works, he took his students to participate in the International Innovation and Technology week in the United States. In October of this year, he went with students to present projects at Cape Canaveral.

In his professional career Rodrigo has already had the opportunity to present his “Pool Airbag” project in the United States and to enter his creation “Smart Chair” in the Shark Tank Brazil program. However, in a conversation with his daughter, he was asked: “Daddy, why aren't you famous?”. At the time, the question took him by surprise, but today Rodrigo speaks with pride about the learning that his daughter brought to his life. “My concept was to be a millionaire, but I realized that it is no longer my focus. What I want today is to live”, he said with a smile on his face.
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In 2016, Rodrigo carried the Olympic torch and, in order to leave a legacy to his family, he donated the object to the city of Birigui, where it will be exhibited at Espaço Rodrigo Simon. Fulfilled, the professional has yet only one dream he aims to fulfill in the short term: “I want to bring Science Days to my city, Birigui”.
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For more information about Science Days, please visit: http://www.sciencedays.org/sdc-brazil
 
Luma Keily
International Correspondent

Science Popularization. It was with the common goal of inserting STEM and Space education in an interactive and creative way in the lives of countless students, that the Brazilian Space Agency joined forces with the Michaelis Foundation to develop a greater partnership. The international collaboration that started in 2018, and is growing ever since, will now provide particularly for the Science Days and Science Days Challenge participants a greater access to the New Space opportunities.

In a gesture of gratitude for the support, the Foundation gave life to the “AEB Globe Award”. The award is a tribute to the “Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Program”, an initiative that was integrated in Brazil in 2015 after an agreement between the AEB and NASA.

The Brazilian Space Agency, within its activities that captivated values ​​of fostering vocations and encouraging young people to follow careers related to space activities, is happy to join forces with the Michaelis Foundation and promote events of this nature, including now with a more specific award for those who stand out. We are sure that this type of opportunity can decisively influence young Brazilian values ​​– Carlos Augusto Teixeira de Moura, President of the Brazilian Space Agency

Focusing on a major analytical work, the program encourages students to collect environmental data - following specific protocols - for use in academic work and scientific research. This way, the teams that perform a broad verification process when developing their projects, will receive the Science Days “AEB Globe Award”.

During the Science Days’ events, AEB will be present through exclusive lives. The lectures will bring details of the Globe Program, with the purpose of making students aware of the existence of Brazilian actions that aim to bring young people, of all ages and through educational programs, closer to the vast scientific universe.

“We are very excited about the expansion of our alliance between Brazil and the United States, we are sure that it reinforces our commitment to continue creating more access for students and educators and a path to the New Space area! Together, we are building a bridge that is allowing the new generation of space explorers to reach for the stars, offer7ing tools and opportunities to fulfill their space dreams, despite any challenges that may come their way.” – Jefferson Michaelis

We would like to give a special thanks to AEB ( https://www.gov.br/aeb/)

For more information about Science Days Brazil please visit: http://www.ScienceDays.org
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Press Information: International Correspondent – ​​Luma Keily

A common passion that brought together more than 80 students in a single virtual space meeting. Through the experiences of the vice president of Vaya Space in Latin America, Darcton Damião, high school students from different Brazilian schools had the opportunity to learn about the space industry.

In a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) approach to learning, Space Talk promoted a debate about the New Space, the new revolution in the aerospace field. "We live in a unique time in history, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience this transformation as it happens", said Darcton, when analyzing the change that allowed small companies to have access to the field.

Science popularization. According to the professional's experiences throughout his career, Darcton stated that this is the great benefit that he evidenced with the origin of New Space. According to the mentor, the new generation of space explorers will have the opportunity to enter the sector in the near future, as a result of this “metamorphosis” of the area. He pointed out that “Brazil is in the top 5 of countries that have all the criteria for the use of satellites and launching systems.

At the end of the event, the organizations sponsoring the project - KSCIA International Space Academy, Michaelis Foundation of the United States and Facens - announced the plan for a face-to-face meeting in 2022, the Space Talk Experience. The event will address, in addition to space exploration, innovation in new technologies and the vast universe of natural sciences.
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To learn more about the foundation and its activities, please access:  http://www.michaelisfoundation.org/
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 - Luma Keily
MFGE International Correspondent
 

The search for extracurricular projects that arouse the interest of students. One of the few educational institutions chosen to participate in the International Journey of Science and Technology in the United States, The Santa Rosaria School, located in the city of Sorocaba, offers high school students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the universe of space exploration.

In order to insert elementary school children in similar activities, the school's director, Raul Fonseca, joined the Michaelis Foundation to bring Space Day into the classroom. For the professional, learning STEM is the path to a promising future for young people. “The entry of many private companies in the sector will certainly lead to the generation of many specialized jobs”, he mentioned when analyzing the aerospace market.

Among the activities related to innovation and science, young students had the opportunity to create and launch cardboard rockets, learning in practice about concepts of propulsion and kinetics. Raul stated that “the event brought a lot of learning and encouragement for new discoveries for the students” and added that it was possible to see the happiness stamped on the faces of the participants.

With the achieved goal, Raul revealed that, at the end of the activities, the students “stated that they are getting ready for the International Journey”. Very excited, one of the students revealed that he really enjoyed seeing "space flow artifacts, replicas of space suits and helmets, and even photos of people who have already gone into space and stepped on the moon."

Check out excerpts from the event through the following video: https://fb.watch/9ebj-iTN0i/

For more information about SPACE DAY go to: http://sciencedays.org/SpaceDay

Do you want to have a Space Day at your school too? Please contact us at the following email: [email protected]

Luma Keily
International Correspondent