EXPERIENCE REPORT: AQUAPONICS WORKSHOPS FOR MUNICIPAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN BELO HORIZONTE, BRAZIL. WHAT DO EDUCATORS KNOW ABOUT AQUAPONICS?

The EcoEscolaBH program is an environmental education program of the municipal school system of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In partnership with the Escola Técnica de Ensino Médio da UFMG and the Escola de Veterinária da UFMG, two short-term training workshops were offered on the potential use of aquaponics in educational activities. Eighty-nine preschool and elementary school teachers participated in the workshops. Diagnostic forms were made available to the educators at the beginning and end of each workshop to assess their perceptions before and after the workshops and the possible impact of changing these perceptions. A descriptive analysis of these two moments and the effectiveness of a short workshop to introduce an innovative pedagogical tool are discussed here.