Among snakes, stick insects, plants and small replicas of fossils, USP’s Institute of Biosciences (IB) has been promoting the university extension project for 36 years . The idea of the project is to offer a space for non-formal education at the University that addresses concepts and themes linked to biology in a creative and playful way.
Since the beginning, Estação Biologia has sought to serve not only schools but also other groups interested in this topic, such as teachers and scouts, who can be multipliers of knowledge about biology. On April 9th, for example, the project welcomed students from the 3rd year of high school at Escola Técnica Estadual ETEC Prof. André Bogasian, from the municipality of Osasco. They participated in two activities offered by the project: Fruit DNA and Biodiversity Trails .
In the first, students carry out experiments with a fruit, such as a strawberry, and work on separating the DNA from the other components of the plant cell. In this process, monitors build knowledge about genetics and properties of the molecules that make up the fruits. On the Biodiversity Trails , students participate in the Crane Game and have their first contact with the themes of natural selection and evolution. Divided into groups, they rotate between stations that address different aspects of evolution through natural selection, such as camouflage and convergence, for example.
The Station has a set of ten other proposals offered according to the public, age group and demand for each visit. Conversation with Researchers, Sexual Education, Teatro dos Abelhudos and Social Insects are some examples of activities offered by the project. Sexual education is one of the most sought after by schools with 9th grade and high school classes, as it is a complex topic, which can be treated in a didactic way and which deconstructs taboos regarding the topics covered.
“In the project we always reformulate the activities and evaluate whether the way of application is efficient. We also look for other ways to make visits and activities more didactic and closer to the students’ reality”, highlights Luciana Jamile, IB graduate and member of Estação Biologia, known by the name Avatar — one of the nicknames given to Biology students at USP.
During the visit on April 9, for example, the project dealt with the University’s space, forms of entry and what the Biology Station is in this context, since the audience was high school students. “This topic is more recent and arose because we felt that something close to them was needed, such as admission to University, to break the ice”, says Pedro Henrique de Souza, called Berry at the institute. “Many students come here not only for biology and the Station, but also with the interest of getting to know the University.
Education and reception space
The room that the project occupies on the USP campus in São Paulo has been the same since its creation, but the structure has undergone changes. If before it was organized in the form of an auditorium, today it seeks to incorporate into the space itself the ideals of presenting and teaching biology in a fun and interesting way. On the wall, for example, there is an illustration of a tree of life that was produced by one of the project members with elements such as small fossils, a nursery of stick insects, snakes preserved in glass, small pots of succulents and a series of illustrations of human body, plants and animals. External areas are also used in the project, such as the Biology Garden, where part of the Biodiversity Trails activity takes place and students have contact with the vegetation.
Around 60 student monitors are divided between the project’s operating days and throughout the week’s visits, with each visit being accompanied on average by 20 members of the Station. Among the monitors there are volunteers and some scholarship holders, not necessarily biology students, and the project welcomes new members annually. The scholarships are related to the Unified Scholarship Program (PUB) of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies (PRG) and to the IB itself. It is coordinated by IB professor Alessandra Bizerra, who deals with the bureaucratic issues of extension and acts as a facilitator within the institute, always respecting the autonomy of students within the project.
The only requirement to participate in the project is to be interested and want to participate in the dynamics of the project, regardless of course or graduation time. These demands go beyond presence on visits, since there is an entire preparation process for these moments in which the Station group studies the public and the activities that will be carried out. After each visit, the group of monitors also meets and talks about the meetings and possible improvements and changes that can be made.
Souza, for example, says that even though he is no longer part of the project, he continues to participate in some activities and maintain contact with the group. “Now in 2024, I started studying for my degree and being part of EB before this part of my training was very good, I feel much more available to deal with students and closer to the world of education”, he explains. “Here is a great entry point for graduate students, in addition to having this professional enrichment. The Station is a very welcoming place, which makes it possible to make new friends and interact with students from other years and courses.
“Participating in the Biology Station helped a lot with my communication”, highlights Avatar. The monitor says that it is a process of mutual and continuous exchange between Station members and visiting students, who are diverse and make each visit a different experience, which teaches something new. “Really, the Station opens up horizons, makes us leave the bubble of being inside USP and makes us meet students from outside and with varied realities.”
She also comments that the Station is a space that contributes to the training of students in a broad way, where students recognize the importance of non-formal education in their own training. “They develop this responsibility of being a type of institutional representation, of representing USP, and all of this also brings a sense of identity, in relation to the Institute and the University.”
In addition to visits
The project has already participated in the with the proposal Fun Activities for Teaching Biology , which consisted of a set of videos, infographics and activity protocols that are available . It was also part of the USP Escola Meeting , an annual teacher training event, the USP Careers Fair and the Bio na Rua project, which promotes interactive activities about biology in city parks.
Its social networks are the gateway for new people and groups to learn about the project, and were also an important space for scientific dissemination during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The project also resulted in research that addressed the pedagogical practice carried out by the members, under the guidance of professor Alessandra. One of these studies, for example, gave rise to the article and the master’s degree , both by Luana Biasutti, who was IB student and member of the Biology Station.