Siemens introduces a project to stimulate young scientists
São Paulo, 14 May 2007
Called Discovery Box, the project is aimed at children between the ages of 3 and 6 with the objective of developing aptitudes in the scientific area
With the objective of arousing among children an interest for the areas of science and technology, Siemens is introducing in Jundiaí, São Paulo, a project called Discovery Box – an educational kit for children between the ages of 3 and 6 that aims to stimulate them to develop aptitudes in the scientific area. Each kit comprises two boxes: one with experiments focusing on the environmental and health areas, and the other focusing on the energy and electricity areas. “The lack of natural resources, the pursuit of alternative sources of energy and the growing demand for healthcare are challenges faced by all of humanity and that call for urgent solutions. As such, this kit helps children experience this reality in practice and helps stimulate conscious consumption habits. Additionally, the kits whets the curiosity of these little scientists”, said Pedro Heer, Siemens Brazil’s Corporate Communications Director.
The first public school in Brazil to receive the kits will be the Professora Maria de Almeida Schledorn Municipal School, in Jundiaí, benefiting the communities that surround the Siemens Transformer plant. The intention is to supply the Discovery Box to various preschools and elementary schools in the municipality, which represents transmitting these interesting lessons to more than seven thousand children. In the future, the objective is to extend this project to other regions. Inside the Discovery Box, there are materials that the professors may use as support: a DVD, a booklet with the contents of the DVD, posters, as well as sheets that describe each experiment step by step, games and other educational activities. In the “Environment and Health” box, children learn all sorts of things, from a simple way of purifying water, to identifying parts of the human body and recognizing which foods are healthier than others. In turn, the “Energy and Electricity” box stimulates activities that arouse the children’s interest in such themes as electrical circuits, conductors, insulators, heat, alternative sources of energy, etc.
In addition to learning how a power socket and a windmill function, for example, they also comprise basic math and science categorization methods by separating materials that conduce electricity from those that do not.
This initiative illustrates the company’s commitment with the community. “By providing this kit, we hope to contribute to the development of new talents”, said Heer. The Discovery Box is part of the Siemens Generation21 global program, which comprises the company’s educational activities for preschool, elementary & high school and university level students, with themes that focus on technology, science, math and engineering. Its main goal is to identify and develop 21st century leaders, inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. In Brazil, Siemens possesses approximately 20 projects that focus on this area of education, technological innovation, sponsorship of scientific books, support of continued environmental awareness activities, etc.
Social support, donations, volunteering activities and disaster relief support define another Siemens global program called Caring Hands, which focuses on using the company’s knowledge and resources to improve the quality of life in communities. At present, roughly 40 social projects are supported by Siemens in Brazil, comprising activities such as digital inclusion, environmental education, drug combating, professional training and emotional intelligence programs.
About the Siemens Group in Brazil
With business operations for over a century in Brazil, Siemens is present in the Automation and Control, Power, Medical, Transportation, Information and Communications and Lighting areas, playing an active role in key projects essential for the country’s development. In October 2002, the company underwent a restructuring process that resulted in the creation of a regional organization called Siemens Mercosur, which comprises activities in Brazil, Argentina and Chile, as well as serving the markets in Paraguay and Uruguay. At present, the company possesses 14,000 employees in Brazil, 15 manufacturing facilities, 12 regional offices in the country (Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Campinas, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, Ribeirão Preto, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo) and eight R&D centers (Canoas, Curitiba, Guarulhos, Jundiaí, Manaus, Rio de Janeiro, Salto and São Paulo).