Science, education, and culture centers of the municipality of Vitória/ES

30 years of popularization of science and science outreach

Abstract

In the early 1990s, initiatives led by organized civil society, with the support of the Municipal Council for Science and Technology of Vitória (CMCT-PMV) and the Municipal Department of Education (SEME-PMV), fostered the creation of non-formal education spaces in the municipality. These spaces were designed with guidelines aimed at science popularization, science outreach, and articulation with formal educational practices in public schools. Through the Municipal Fund for Science and Technology (FACITEC-PMV), the CMCT-PMV and SEME-PMV planned, secured funding, and implemented four Science Centers in different areas of the city: the Vitória Planetarium, the Science Square, the School of Physical Science, and the School of Science, Biology, and History. Rather than establishing a single large science center, a decentralized strategy was adopted to disseminate science throughout the urban territory of Vitória, thereby expanding public access to scientific and educational activities. In 2020, this initiative was further strengthened with the inauguration of the School of Innovation, broadening actions related to science, education, and culture in the municipality. Thus, this paper presents an overview of thirty years of activity of the Science, Education, and Culture Centers of Vitória—initially known as Schools of Science—highlighting their role in promoting science popularization and science communication over this historical period.