Gerontological education to understand human aging and mitigate ageism with an emphasis on women's appearance and self-esteem for elementary school II students at EMEF Architect Luis Saia participants in the Girls in Science project

• Grant number: 23/14107-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Education
• Principal Investigator: Luís Paulo de Carvalho Piassi
• Grantee: Carolina Viana dos Santos
• Host Institution: Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

As a branch of the 'Science Stand' project, the 'Girls in Science' project aims to disseminate knowledge about various scientific areas to girls in middle school, highlighting women, especially scientists, who have had or continue to have influence in certain fields. With that said, this project is based on the need to promote female inclusion in various fields of knowledge that have been male-dominated for a long time. Additionally, the study is also based on the growing aging population, which demands new needs and actions aimed at promoting healthy aging and ensuring quality of life for the population. As society ages, we can also observe an increase in ageism, or prejudice based on age, which significantly affects the female population, especially elderly women due to physical characteristics related to appearance. Gerontology emerges as an alternative to mitigate the issues arising from the aging population, such as ageism, which can be attenuated through initiatives like gerontological education, which can be initiated alongside formal education. One of the project's objectives is to demystify stereotypes and prejudices related to aging, especially as it pertains to women, as well as to promote intergenerationality and higher self-esteem in this process. To achieve this, meetings will be held with explanations, discussions, and experiments with the participants of 'Girls in Science.' Thus, it is expected that there will be engagement from the students in the theme, as well as the acquisition of knowledge in the field of aging and its ramifications.