Pensamento Computacional - Material de apoio - Desafio Jovem Engenheiro

Summary

The 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' project, now in its 12th edition, encourages young Brazilians to pursue engineering and exact sciences. Originating from a collaboration between CPqD and Vale in 2012, it has engaged nearly 3000 students, predominantly from public schools with limited resources. The project, which focuses on sustainable development goals, is conducted online and involves three competitive phases. Teams from across Brazil, including the Tararé region's 2021 champion, develop innovative solutions like recycling programs and computer labs for underprivileged communities. The initiative not only promotes problem-solving skills but also aims to address the significant gender disparity in engineering fields, with a notable success in attracting female participants to the final stages.

Takeaways

• 🏆 The 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' (Young Engineer Challenge) is a project that encourages high school students to enter the field of engineering and exact sciences.
• 📈 The challenge has been running since 2012 and has engaged nearly 3000 students, mostly from public schools with limited resources.
• 🌐 The competition is conducted entirely online and involves teams from all over Brazil, showcasing a wide geographical participation.
• 🔄 The challenge is divided into three phases, with increasing levels of difficulty, and all stages are elimination rounds.
• 🏆 The winning team from the 2021 edition, from the Tararé region in Sorocaba, developed a recycling project that included a collection point and a computer room for the underprivileged.
• 💻 The students created an app as part of their project, demonstrating the integration of technology in solving community problems.
• 👥 The challenge is organized by professors from Unicamp, with challenges set in six different areas, all related to sustainable development goals.
• 📚 The projects are developed autonomously by the students, with professors providing the challenge themes and guidance.
• 🎓 The initiative aims to address the shortage of professionals in the fields of technology and computation in Brazil, especially encouraging more women to participate.
• 👩‍💻 Women have been notably successful in the challenge, often making up the majority of the finalists and winning teams.
• 💼 The challenge not only motivates students to engage with technology and engineering but also prepares them for the industry 4.0 and the job market.

Q & A

What is the 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' project about?

The 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' is a project that encourages young Brazilians to enter the field of engineering and exact sciences. It involves students participating in challenges that are designed to solve real-world problems using their engineering skills.

How did the Tararé team from Sorocaba region win the 2021 challenge?

The Tararé team developed a recycling project in their community, which included setting up a collection point for local people to bring materials for reuse. They also created a computer room for the underprivileged to use computers and developed an application to support the initiative.

What is the significance of the 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' in its 12th edition?

The project has been running since 2012 and has engaged nearly 3000 students, mostly from public schools and small cities with limited resources, providing them with an enriching experience and exposure to engineering and problem-solving.

How is the 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' structured?

The challenge is divided into three phases with increasing difficulty. The first phase has three challenges, the second has two, and there is a final challenge. All stages are eliminatory, and only the best teams progress to the next phase.

What role do the professors from Unicamp play in the 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro'?

Professors from Unicamp, who are doctoral researchers, develop the challenges for the competition. They propose problems in different areas such as environmental, telecommunications, transportation, and computing, all aligned with sustainable development goals.

How does the 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' integrate computational thinking into its challenges?

The project incorporates computational thinking by encouraging students to use tools like Scratch and by focusing on current technology trends, such as producing podcasts and creating YouTube videos, to solve the proposed problems.

What is the impact of participating in the 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' on the students' future?

Participating in the challenge can motivate students to pursue higher education in engineering and exact sciences, fields that are currently underrepresented in Brazil. It also fosters a love for technology and problem-solving skills that are valuable in the job market.

How does the 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' address the gender imbalance in engineering?

The project has been successful in attracting female participants, with many all-female teams reaching the final stages of the competition. This suggests that the challenge is effective in encouraging more women to consider careers in engineering and technology.

What is the current focus of the 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' in terms of themes?

Since 2021, the project has been working with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on themes such as sustainable cities, and in the current year, it is exploring the concept of Industry 4.0.

How does the 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro' motivate students to participate?

The challenge motivates students by offering a competitive platform where they can showcase their skills. Additionally, there are prizes for the top three teams, which further incentivizes participation.

What is the role of sponsors in the 'Desafio Jovem Engenheiro'?

Sponsors play a crucial role by providing prizes for the top-performing teams, which adds an extra layer of motivation for the students to excel in the competition.