Defense
Student: Beatriz Ribeiro Zanon
Program: Professional Master's Degree in Astronomy Teaching
Title: "Cientistas Brilhantes: Website for the dissemination of the history and contributions of women in the fields of Astronomy, Geophysics, and Atmospheric Sciences"
Advisor: Profa. Dra. Andrea Teixeira Ustra
Judging Comitee:
- Profa. Dra. Andrea Teixeira Ustra - IAG/USP (Chair and Advisor)
- Profa. Dra. Marcia Akemi Yamasoe - IAG/USP
- Prof. Dr. George Sand Leão Araújo de França - IAG/USP
- Profa. Dra. Ellen de Nazaré Souza Gomes - UFPA
Abstract:
This paper describes the development and application of the Cientistas Brilhantes website, a digital educational product designed for the scientific outreach of the trajectories and contributions of women in the fields of astronomy, geophysics, and atmospheric sciences. The project aims to promote representation and inspiration among basic education students, focusing primarily on Brazilian scientists but also including prominent international figures, thereby valuing women's work in science and serving as a pedagogical resource for school activities. The methodology for the website's construction involved content planning, selection of scientists, organization into thematic sections, visual design, and the implementation of multimedia resources (texts, images, challenges, glossary, and suggestions for experiments and readings). The validation of the product's effectiveness was conducted through experimental applications in the Cecília in 2024 and Astrominas in 2025 Projects. The questions applied focused on prior knowledge, general perception of the website, identification of sections of interest, reflection on the importance of promoting women's work, and the educational impact. The analysis of the responses demonstrated that the website contributes significantly to the learning of scientific content, sparks interest, promotes reflection on women's participation in Brazilian science, and shows potential for pedagogical applicability. Positive aspects highlighted included organization, clarity of language, aesthetics, interactivity, and diversity of resources. Suggestions for improvement were incorporated, aiming to expand the number of scientists, experiments, and interactive resources. The results reinforce that the Cientistas Brilhantes website plays a relevant social and educational role by fostering female representation, promoting meaningful scientific learning, and serving as a pedagogical tool, thus contributing to gender equity in line with SDG 5. The experience indicates that well-planned digital strategies, utilizing multimedia resources, can broaden access to scientific knowledge and student engagement.
Keywords: Scientific outreach, Women in science, Astronomy, Geophysics, Atmospheric sciences, Representation, Basic education, Gender equity.