IFMS project on women writers from Mato Grosso do Sul is awarded at national fair – Dourados Agora

It is nothing new for the Federal Institute of Mato Grosso do Sul (IFMS) to be awarded at the Brazilian Science and Engineering Fair (Febrace), promoted for over two decades by the University of São Paulo (USP). Awards have been given since 2012, the institution’s first year of participation in the event.

Even so, the 2024 edition – held between March 18 and 22, in the capital of São Paulo – now has a special meaning. For the first time, IFMS brought home the ‘Outstanding Professor Award’, or rather ‘Outstanding Teacher’. Karina Vicelli, a professor at Campus Dourados, was the only finalist from Mato Grosso do Sul, and competed with nine other professors from Bahia, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, São Paulo and Sergipe.

Created 12 years ago, the award aims to recognize, value and honor teachers for their dedication. The selection was made by a committee, together with supervisors and co-supervisors who participated in the fair. Candidates were also able to perform at the event, as part of the official program. The winner was defined through the votes and the performance of the students at Febrace, which, in Karina’s case, were the students Ana Júlia Leite and Edilaine Rocha. The duo presented the project ‘Writers in Mato Grosso do Sul’, which was also awarded.

Karina has been a Portuguese Language teacher at IFMS since 2015, and holds the position of Research and Innovation coordinator at Campus Dourados. For her, receiving the award is the success of a struggle and work that began almost three decades ago.

“I started teaching in 1995. Before I graduated as a literature teacher, I was already a teacher. So it’s teaching and learning all the time. As Paulo Freire would say, everyone has something to learn, everyone has something to teach, there is no one who doesn’t know anything, everyone knows something. And I love teaching!”

More than a victory, being a ‘Featured Teacher’ at Febrace 2024 also has other meanings for the teacher.

“When you win an award like this, responsibility comes with it, but it shows me that I am on the right path, and I will continue to do my best for the education of this country. And yes, Brazil has a way! I believe in this through empowerment through words, writing, literary studies, and the more narratives we exchange, the stronger we become, the more powerful we are and the more voices we can hear”.

As she is a “creative” of the public university, having completed her undergraduate, master’s and doctorate degrees for free, Karina feels it is her duty to return, in some way, all the investment in her education.

“I feel obliged to give back to society everything that was invested in me, and give a voice to those who still don’t have a voice, bring education to those who really need it. Also continue empowering those who need it most, girls, women, indigenous people, Afro-descendant culture, the LGBTQIA+ community, any and all peripheral students who don’t have as many opportunities”, he highlights.