EcoEduca

EcoEduca

EcoEduca

Empowering students from underserved communities through a platform that provides resources to explore science and create real-world solutions

Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil

BRA

Nonprofit

EcoEduca aims to provide students from public schools and marginalized communities such as quilombolas, indigenous peoples and riverside communities with the opportunity to learn science in a experimental way for the first time. Although more than 80% of young Brazilians express a desire to pursue scientific careers, only 14% of them have access to real research and practical science experiences. According to data from the OECD, based on a study conducted in 70 countries, Brazil ranks 63rd in the world for science education. This critical scenario leads many students to abandon science before they even finish high school. At the same time, Brazil generates more than 80 million tons of agro-industrial waste annually, with only 4% of this waste being reused. This reality represents not only a loss of resources that could serve as raw materials, but also a missed opportunity to connect waste with science education. EcoEduca seeks to solve this problem by offering the necessary support to keep these students engaged, providing them raw materials for their research and guiding them to solve real-world problems within their own communities.

EcoEduca platform is a web app with app-like features designed to guide and mentor students, helping them to persist in their passion for science or even discover it alongside us. Edu, the platform's AI tutor, works in collaboration with mentors and a waste database (created from donated materials by brazilian companies) that classifies waste by type, application, and location. On the platform, Edu works as a research mentor for these students, explaining concepts, suggesting raw materials for research through the waste database, and giving missions that can be followed on the platform to monitor student progress and encourage ongoing engagement. The EcoEduca platform also has partnerships with public universities so that students can conduct their research in real laboratories, and mentors who assist if the student needs extra help. The platform also allows teachers to access this waste database to use in experiments in their classes. EcoEduca provides guided tutorials, helping educators implement experiments in a practical, inexpensive, and accessible way in the classroom. By connecting STEM, education, and sustainability, EcoEduca aims to foster enthusiasm for science in every student, regardless of their background, by providing them with the tools they need to explore, learn, and innovate.

By connecting students from marginalized communities and public schools with the knowledge and resources they need, EcoEduca seeks to guide them in creating solutions that solve local challenges that directly impact their own communities, solutions that can also be adapted and scaled to address global issues. The platform also serve for educators, by providing tools to teach science in an accessible way in their classrooms, encouraging more students to engage and connect with science for the first time. Our project aims to transform science education in underserved areas, promoting not only inclusion but also the empowerment of young people often overlooked by large companies and universities. It gives them the opportunity to have their projects recognized and accepted, turning them into change-makers in their own communities. The impact on students' lives goes beyond the development of scientific knowledge. It fosters a sense of confidence in their ability to contribute to the future of science.