PS4W: Youth and Female Inclusion Program in the Technological Area

• Nádia L. A. Alexandrino Federal Institute of Minas Gerais http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9388-7162
• Carlos A. Silva Federal Institute of Minas Gerais https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5597-4254
• Cristiane N. Targa Federal Institute of Minas Gerais https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0923-4607
• Daniel B. F. Conrado Federal Institute of Minas Gerais https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4014-9702

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/educomp.2021.14486

Abstract

The female presence in courses and professional activities related to the areas of exact and technology is notably reduced. Irreflexively, girls are removed from these areas, being subjected predominantly to comments and games that design domestic tasks, instead of working with logical reasoning and computational thinking. Considering these factors, the Sabará for Women extension project (PS4W), has the mission of disseminating and stimulating the development of the computational thinking of girls from public schools in the city of Sabará, Minas Gerais. For this, contents were taught on logical reasoning, robotics and computer programming, guided by girls and women who work in the project team. The PS4W represented a great experience for both instructors and students, who reported having a greater interest in technology areas at the end of the course. The project was also the subject of a series of nationally awarded reporting and participated in the Brazilian Robotics Olympiad, winning medals of honor to merit. In addition, it promoted the graduation of more than 80 students from public schools in the city, integrating the main educational representations of the municipality and the state. From these results, it was possible to see that the project proved to be an innovative action with a great impact on the city. Furthermore, from the development of the PS4W, the need to implement new technology teaching strategies in the municipality was noticed, and, as a result, new developments were created from the original project, Programa Sabará, which has benefited other young people in the city.

Keywords: girls, public schools, robotics, programming

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