OBAnautas do Valongo: supporting students in scientific olympiads in Brazil
Astronomy Education in Practice - Primary Schools
IAU OAE Conference 2026
Thursday Nov. 19, 2026
UTC: 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. America/New_York: 2:30 p.m.- 4 p.m.
Friday Nov. 20, 2026
UTC: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. America/New_York: 6:30 a.m.- 8 a.m.
Matheus Rabelo
(Valongo Observatory)
The OBANAUTAS DO VALONGO project uses the Brazilian Astronomy Olympiad (OBA) to
foment science education in schools. The OBA is a widely disseminated competition throughout
Brazil and has a huge impact on students choosing exact sciences careers. The
Valongo Observatory, reference in Brazil for Astronomical education and research, started this year a program aiming to support students with no access to formal scientific education.
We collaborated with 3 primary schools from Rio de Janeiro as well as an Astronomy Club on
Valongo site. Reaching up to 100 students, we combined classes with games and exercises,
keeping in mind the challenges and nuances of each educational portrait we faced. In this work,
we present our results, discuss the challenges and future perspectives.
Biography:
Currently on undergraduation in Astronomy on the Valongo Observatory, since 2021. Works in a lot of projects in astronomy difusion, such as OBANAUTAS do Valongo and Astroturismo Nos Parques, teaching astronomy to those who don't have access to formal sciences education.
