Work-in-Progress: Encouraging Girls in Science, Engineering and Information Technology

This work is related to the Project “Encouraging Girls in Science, Engineering and Information Technology” that is underway at the University of Caxias do Sul. This project aims to involve elementary and high school teachers and students in discussions related to formal education, which can enable them to experience teaching activities and processes that explore the experimentation, and to disseminated in the society the knowledge and technological applications used by the Sciences and Engineering. Based on the planning of a teacher training course for the project's five co-running schools, hands-on workshops, a Science and Astronomy Club, Science and Technology Fairs, Mathematical Olympics, Chats with Scientists and Engineers, and Science at the Movie Theater are being carried out. The results already obtained show that, the way the activities are being promoted, it is possible to contribute to the scientific and technological development and innovation of the country by encouraging the participation and training of girls and women for careers in the Exact Sciences, Engineering and Information Technology; contribute to the insertion of more and better female elementary and high school students in the scientific and technological fields, as well as to reduce the impact of gender inequalities on the career choices of elementary and high school students.