Public Relations and Outreach

The following activities in Public Relations and Outreach were realized in 2001:

• Participation in public guided visits at the OPD. (A. Bruch, B.V. Castilho, C.A. Torres, G. Quast, M. de Oliveira Abans, M. Faúndez-Abans - coordenator)
• The LNA has participated in the exhibition ``EXPOCIÊNCIA'' during the annual meeting of the SBPC in San Salvador in July 2001 which was visited by thousands of scientists and general public. (A. Bruch, C.A. Torres)
• An interview with two reporters resulted in an long article about the activities of the LNA as National Gemini Office in the newspaper ``Sul de Minas''. (A. Bruch)
• The Lord Major of Itajubá and a high ranked delegation of representatives of the town and the local industry and of guests from France visited the OPD. (A. Bruch)
• The LNA participated with a stand at ``Feira Regional de Indústria e Comércio de Itajubá - FRICI'' at Itajuba, in September 2001, which arouse strong interest of representatives of the national industry and business as well as schools and the general public from Itajubá and the neighbouring communities (M. de Oliveira-Abans, C.A. Torres, B.V. Castilho, M. Faúndez-Abans).
• The LNA participated in a meeting to think about perspecitves and future of Brazopólis, the town hosting the Observatório do Pico dos Dias. (C.A. Torres)
• The construction of the small IFU for educational purposes was initiated. The idea is to build an Integral Field Unit with 50 optical fibres, opened and thus with all parts visible, in order to demonstrate the principles of an IFU. (A.C. de Oliveira)
• Administration of talks and guided visits of a group of English-as-a-second-language students and a group of Malaysian members of the Rotary Club visiting the OPD. (M. de Oliveira-Abans)
• New institutional exhibition panels were designed and fabricated. (M. de Oliveira-Abans)
• The institutional information leaflet was re-edited. (M. de Oliveira-Abans)
• Collaboration as the LNA representative in the organizing committee of the Escola de Inverno de Itajubá Tecnópolis - EIIT, a winter school for school teachers. Work as secretary during the 4th EIIT. Performance of contacts and preparations of an additional activity for children within the 4th EIIT entitled "AstroTaba dos Curumins", which envisages to provide basic knowledge of astronomy and Brazilian indian archeoastronomy, along with Brazilian Guarany indian culture. Unfortunately, none of the prepared activities could in fact be realized due to the lack of sufficient attendance this year. (M. de Oliveira-Abans)
• Submission of the Astronomy course entitled "Como o Astrônomo Sabe?" (How does the astronomer know?) to the 4th EIIT (see preceding item). (A. Bruch, B.V. Castilho, C.A. Torres, G. Quast, M. de Oliveira-Abans, M. Faúndez-Abans)
• Information and iconographic material on the OPD and visiting schedule to the editors of the Revista Disney Explorer of the A Folha de São Paulo group, a publication directed to children, for an issue containing information on observatories and planetaries to visit during the end-of-the year vacations period. (M. de Oliveira-Abans)
• Information and iconographic material on the Gemini South Telescope and dedication ceremony to editors and journalists of major Brazilian newspapers. (M. de Oliveira-Abans)
• Publication of the preliminary public and media entrance web pages on the LNA home page. (M. de Oliveira-Abans, M. Faúndez-Abans and B.V. Castilho)
• Advice and supervision of the work of a high school group of students for a science fair exhibit at the Fundação BRADESCO, Itajubá. (M. Faúndez-Abans)
• Participation in the FAPEMIG exhibition: "Ciência para o Desenvolvimento", realized in September 2001 at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte. (M. Faúndez-Abans)
• Realization of a mini-course on ``Sistema Solar, Terra e Memórias'' administered to the ESCONTI group at the Escola Federal de Engenharia de Itajubá - EFEI. (M. Faúndez-Abans)