Brazil’s 2021 Stand Up Gymkhana
Although rich in natural resources and culture, Brazil has been plagued with socio-economic and political turmoil. Exasperated by the pandemic, Brazilians have seen high rates of death from COVID-19, a rise in unemployment, and high levels of food insecurity.
With low levels of literacy in energy, specifically around nuclear energy, many are unaware that their country is home to a nuclear plant. Understanding the landscape and educational gaps, Brazil’s Stand Up for Nuclear chapter works to address nuclear topics at a rudimentary level.
In 2021, Brazil’s leading ladies assembled for the second year in a row. Forced to go virtual, the women-led group launched a content/activity-filled Stand-Up event marathon that spanned over 7 weeks. Activities highlighted the essential role nuclear energy plays in fighting climate change, and Brazil’s water and energy crisis.
With a focus on content creation and engagement, the Stand Up for Nuclear Brazil Chapter extended its social reach and was rewarded with its highest mobilization of youths; Their social media accounts saw follower counts increase by 51%!
Opening their marathon with a Nuclear communication Course, viewers and followers were invited to participate in a young nuclear science communication competition called the, “Stand Up for Nuclear Brazil 2021 Gymkhana.” Designed to promote collaboration and intersection between communities, groups and individuals were given this opportunity to explore the varying facets of nuclear. Ultimately, six groups entered the competition and were challenged to complete a series of tasks.
Assemble team
Pick exciting name
Follow our social media pages & repost our material
Creating nuclear energy themed content, reels & memes
Practice nuclear communication live (improv)
Conduct a survey on nuclear energy perception and present the data in a presentation
Participate and interact on promoted lives from WiN Brasil
Making a final video on nuclear energy in Brazil and its relevance to the country
Over the next 5 - 6 weeks, groups explored how to communicate topics ranging from radiation to nuclear’s ability in assisting in social development. After tallying the points, the winner was the Descarbonise Team!
The team, formed by students from the Technology in Radiology course at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, was encouraged by their professor, Priscilla Santana to participate.
Many of the students were no strangers to outreach. Many are members of, LACARD, Academic League of Radiological Sciences, a club. A club that hosts meetings, lectures, movie viewings, and happy hours featuring professors, academics, & leaders in the Radiological Science & Health Science sectors.
In speaking with these students, they describe how their participation allowed many to explore the complexities of this field.
Although all either had a background in radiological sciences or engineering, some knew very little about nuclear energy. Members describe their attraction to radiological sciences and attribute it to when they discovered its numerous advantageous applications that contribute to human prosperity.
“When I first started in Radiological Sciences, I thought it was only application was medical and very narrow. But then I noticed the diversity of the applications and got excited. The Stand Up was a big opportunity to learn about other applications. It was a learning experience and an enriching process to interact with others.”
The gap between radiological sciences and atomic science was bridged with this competition.
But the competition doesn’t end here, the LACARD group has launched their new extension, Decarbonize. This branch will be focused on demystifying nuclear energy and atomic sciences!
It is clear that with exciting challenges, incentives, and adequate support individuals will feel empowered to open and continue the nuclear conversation.
Congratulations Decarbonise Team!
Check out the full article on winbrasil.org
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