As ações extensionistas no Jardim Botânico da UFJF: uma educação ambiental crítica para a formação cidadã

Abstract

This dissertation was developed within the scope of the Professional Master's degree in Management and Evaluation of Public Education (PPGP) of the Public Policies Center and Education Evaluation of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (CAEd/UFJF). The management case discussed the relevance of the Botanical Garden (JB) of the UFJF for the development of extension actions. In the context of the researcher's performance, a timid conception of extension projects has been noticed since the inauguration of the JB in 2019. This fact highlighted a problem to be faced, considering that by December 2022 the extension must be included in the workload of undergraduate courses according to the regulations of the National Council of Education. Based on this scenario, this study presented as its central objective to discuss the obstacles and potential actions that can be developed in the UFJF Botanical Garden by employees of this institution, in order to contribute to the expansion and improvement of these proposals. Thus, the guiding question for this study emerged: how have extension activities been proposed and implemented at the JB/UFJF? To answer this question, the following specific objectives were defined: 1) to describe the extension activities developed at JB/UFJF; 2) to analyze the potentiality of the JB for the extension field, and; 3) to propose the increase and improvement of extension activities at the JB/UFJF to contribute to the citizenship formation of UFJF undergraduates and the beneficiaries of these actions. For this, recorded interviews were conducted with actors directly involved with the management of the JB/UFJF and with those who develop or have developed extension programs and projects there. In addition, to meet the described objectives, self-completion interviews were carried out with the members of the JB/UFJF councils. Similarly, electronic questionnaires were sent to the directors of the JBs in the country to understand how extension actions occur in these places, especially those of Environmental Education. Through the application of the instruments, the main obstacles and facilitators for the development of extension actions at JB/UFJF were identified, as well as the contribution of these actions to the education of critical citizens. Besides, it allowed us to raise possible extensionist actions that can be developed in the future at JB/UFJF, to collaborate with the curriculum of extension at UFJF. In the end, an Educational Action Plan (PAE) was developed containing five propositional actions: internal events on university extension; training courses aimed at proponents of extension actions and counselors; events to publicize the JB/UFJF; publication of an internal financing notice; and promotion of practical activities at the JB/UFJF. It is expected that such actions can contribute to the reduction of the obstacles identified, to the expansion and strengthening of the extension at JB/UFJF.