José Manuel Bolieiro ends science and innovation tour in Faial with session on “Computational Thinking” - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Azorean Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, and the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, ended on Tuesday, on Faial Island, the science and innovation tour that began last Friday in São Miguel, which also included Santa Maria and Faial.

The closing ceremony took place at the Horta Basic Education School, with the presentation of the "Computational Thinking" project and participation in a class with elementary school students, where various activities and challenges were presented.

The project was outlined at the session, with emphasis on its implementation in Azorean schools, the creation of content and activities, and the impact already observed in teaching practices among elementary school pupils. It should be noted that this is a pioneering project in the Azores and was initially implemented in 2021 by the coalition government led by José Manuel Bolieiro.

The project was coordinated by Professor Miles Berry from the University of Roehampton in London. In the 2021/2022 school year, the first year of the project in the Azores, training was provided to all tutor teachers from the 29 participating schools, and tools were created for use by students in subsequent years. In 2022/2023, the project entered the classroom, with fun educational activities led by the tutors. Progressive expansion is planned: next year, it will cover the 1st and 2nd grades, gradually expanding to include 1st to 6th-grade students.

José Manuel Bolieiro noted that this commitment "is investing in the skills of the future from the early years of schooling," while stressing that "innovation begins at school." In closing, the President of the Regional Government praised the work done in the Region, defending that the Azores should continue to "harness existing capacities" and value the "talent" found in schools and educational communities, creating conditions for knowledge to translate into opportunities and development.

The initiative was attended by the Regional Secretary for Education, Culture and Sport, Sofia Ribeiro, the Regional Director for Education, Rui Espínola, and the President of the Horta Basic Education School Board, Hildeberto Peixoto.