Gui Menezes announces creation of another 11 programming and robotics clubs in Azorean schools by the end of the year
The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology announced in Ponta Delgada that the Regional Government will "increase the number of programming and robotics clubs" in regional schools, adding that a total of 17 clubs will have been created in an equal number of schools by the end of the year.
Gui Menezes spoke on the sidelines of a visit to the Programming and Robotics Club of ENTA - School of New Technologies of the Azores, which created in February. On the occasion, he stated that the Government will sign 11 protocols with another 11 regional schools for the creation of programming and robotics clubs, an investment of 60 thousand Euros.
"We had planned to create another four clubs by the end of the year, but we will go a little further," the Regional Secretary said, stressing that the Azorean Government has a "positive feedback" from this initiative, which aims to "encourage education for science and technologies."
According to Gui Menezes, "stimulating vocations" is the "major goal" of these clubs, adding that "these stimuli are the seed for students to choose these areas."
"These programmes are part of informal teaching activities and stimulate a lot of know-how, providing students with a hands-on experience that will make them very motivated," said the government official.
The Regional Secretary stated that the Government will promote this year "a programming course for teachers working in these clubs in order to ensure their quality."
In February, the Regional Government launched a pilot project for the creation of robotics clubs in six regional schools, which included 90 students. The new clubs are expected to cover another 165 students.
Gui Menezes assured that this initiative "will reach all schools" in 2019 as programming and robotics will become part of school activity plans.
The new protocols will cover the following school establishments: Maia, Ribeira Grande, Roberto Ivens and Canto da Maia Basic Education Schools (São Miguel); Francisco Ferreira Drummond Basic Education Schools« in Angra do Heroísmo; Capelas and Ribeira Grande Vocational Training Schools (São Miguel); São Roque do Pico Basic Education School; Lagoa, Nordeste and Povoação Basic Education and Secondary School (São Miguel).
In the first phase, programming and robotics clubs were implemented at Manuel de Arriaga Secondary School in Horta, Santa Maria and Flores Basic Education and Secondary Schools, Angra do Heroísmo Basic Education School, Laranjeiras Secondary School and at the School of New Technologies of the Azores (São Miguel).
This initiative falls within the "Science at School" Programme, PACCTO - Action Plan for Scientific and Technological Culture, which was presented this year by the Regional Secretary. The plan contains a measure focused on the creation of reference school laboratories and a measure to ensure the support to its operation in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), namely in computer science, robotics and programming.
The creation of robotics clubs in Azorean schools was one of the measures highlighted by Gui Menezes in the context of the presentation of the 2018 Plan and Budget in order to raise the interest of young people in the areas related to science and technology.