{"id":10255,"date":"2025-06-16T16:48:19","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T19:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solvefortomorrowlatam.com\/?post_type=pratica&p=10255"},"modified":"2025-06-23T14:33:05","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T17:33:05","slug":"projeto-stem-sobre-meio-ambiente-melhora-a-agricultura-comunitaria","status":"publish","type":"pratica","link":"https:\/\/solvefortomorrowlatam.com\/en\/case\/projeto-stem-sobre-meio-ambiente-melhora-a-agricultura-comunitaria\/","title":{"rendered":"STEM project with an environmental focus enhances community agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bees don\u2019t just make honey. According to experts from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), one-third of global food production depends on these insects<\/a>. They pollinate over 70% of the world\u2019s crops, from fruits to vegetables. However, they face several threats, including pesticide use and climate change. Therefore, working with bees is an opportunity to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math<\/a> (STEM) in a practical and critical way, addressing real-world challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, the STEM project with an environmental focus “Abejas polinizadoras” project created a prototype to measure bee populations and their relationship with the quality of Andean raspberry (Rubus glaucus<\/em>), a fruit native to the Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Vargas region in T\u00e1chira, Venezuela. The innovation, developed by four students, was a regional finalist in the 2024 edition of Solve for Tomorrow<\/a> \u2013 Central America and Caribbean region, involving 11 countries: Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The participants were fifth-year students, the final level of mandatory schooling. Their school, Liceo Nacional Ferm\u00edn Ruiz Valero, has a track record of environmental projects, including previous Solve for Tomorrow entries. The mediator teacher<\/a> Anderson P\u00e9rez, a specialist in Biology and Chemistry, recalls that the students initially chose bees as their subject. “But I told them it was too broad, so we looked for ways the project could also benefit the municipality and help farmers improve product quality,” he observes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In their community, like many farming regions, pollinators and biodiversity are at risk due to excessive agrochemical use. So, the first step was to identify factors affecting bees’ wellbeing like\u00a0 temperature and humidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Eureka Moment! <\/h5>\n

It was important for the project to know how many bees were inside the device at any given time. In the first prototype, which was simpler and made of cardboard, the bees were counted manually by observing how many entered and how many left. How could they create a more automated, reliable, and faster system? They didn’t know the answer either, so the solution was to form partnerships. \u201cWe went to the city looking for specialists in robotics, in systems that would allow us to obtain sensors, learn a little more about circuits, and other needs,\u201d recalls the professor. The evolution was enormous!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The final prototype went from being in a cardboard box to a plastic box made using 3D printing. The team paid attention to detail: they made it yellow because it attracts bees and added sugar to make it even more appealing. The sensors built into the device measure parameters such as quantity, temperature, and humidity, which are displayed on an LED screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laboratory analyses were conducted in collaboration with experts, and the team also had the support of an agricultural engineer. \u201cWith this support, they were able to establish the purpose of creating a prototype to count the bee population. The idea, in the end, was to have a small device that could be installed anywhere in the crop,\u201d says P\u00e9rez. The box has an entrance door and an exit door. By monitoring the bees’ movements, the prototype can count how many are inside the device at any given time.
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The final prototype is a box made using 3D printing, designed in yellow to attract bees, with internal sensors and a servo motor that controls the insect’s entry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition, to make the STEM project with an environmental focus, they also received support from the National Experimental University of T\u00e1chira for more technical knowledge and from a robotics academy in a nearby city for the assembly of the prototype. \u201cThey provided us with personalized attention to manufacture the prototype, design the box, and install the cable network. They also gave a class to the students so that they could operate the equipment themselves,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The system connects via bluetooth to an APK (Android Application Package), which is a file format used to install programs on the Android operating system. In this way, it transmits production information to farmers in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And why is it important to monitor the bees? Well, the professor explains that it is to ensure high blackberry production and fruit quality. \u201cIf there are no bees, that is a warning to producers that blackberry production is likely to decline,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The STEM project with an environmental focus requires empathy<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although they kept in mind the goal of improving production, the students did not forget about the bees’ quality of life. To provide more comfort for them, it was necessary to limit the number inside the box. Thus, it is not enough to simply control how many of these insects enter, but also to close the entrance to others once a maximum number is reached. In theory, this seems easy, but the material of the device has little adhesion. Therefore, they had difficulty positioning the pulleys that would open the gate. The servomotor could not be fixed properly and the pulleys came loose. Another challenge was calibrating the timing so that it could open at a specific moment. With a lot of testing, perseverance, and the help of allies, they managed to use programming to organize the circuits and make them work in the best possible way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project can be replicated in other communities and countries to increase the resilience of diverse agricultural ecosystems, generate income for families, and support food security. \u201cAll the experiences we have had as educators in a country with limitations like ours have taught us a lot. Seeing a small group of students from a town like this makes us feel proud,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The testing phase was carried out on a blackberry farm in the municipality. At first, they chose several production areas, but they realized that each one had different climate conditions and that the number of bees could vary depending on that, so they decided to focus on just one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was nice to share with them that experience of going directly to reality, going into the field, says the teacher.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Dealing with these landowners was an exercise in communication<\/a> for the students, adds the teacher: \u201cThe way they communicated the project’s objectives and procedures made the farmers willing to open their doors to the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning for teaching<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the educator, this work had a positive impact throughout the municipality. \u201cThe other students who have not received this training from Solve for Tomorrow are now telling me that they want to participate,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P\u00e9rez has some advice for his fellow teachers: \u201cThere is no formula. But we have to be eager to learn more. We can’t just stop at a bachelor’s degree; we have to continue learning in order to teach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, to engage students, a starting point could be to take advantage of commemorative dates, such as World Bee Day (May 20) and World Environment Day (June 5), to make a STEM project with an environmental focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Find out more! <\/h5>\n

The Liceo Nacional Ferm\u00edn Ruiz Valero managed to register 20 projects in the 2024 edition of Solve for Tomorrow, all aimed at environmental conservation. For teacher Anderson P\u00e9rez, the secret to getting so many students involved in something extracurricular lies in the motivation of the teachers themselves. \u201cWhen we show students that it’s something we enjoy doing too and demonstrate patience in tackling each of the projects, they get excited,\u201d he believes. In addition, the educator emphasizes that it is important to put this <\/span>methodology<\/span><\/a> into practice from the lower grades so that young people become familiar with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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