Science dissemination or popularization
of science refers to the
act of facilitating the understanding of research and works of scientific
and/or technological origin among the general public. Science dissemination
is a relevant issue in the realm of public policy. Considering that
in Brazil, the university is responsible for most of the scientific
knowledge production, one of its core obligations is to promote activities
intended to disseminate the knowledge produced. The dissemination
of scientific knowledge is extremely important because when science
has little prestige among the general population, several problems
are bound to occur as society’s image of chemistry, which is
not always positive, is often related to negative and equivocal facts.
This article discusses the use of science dissemination as a tool
for bridging the gap between high school students and the university,
aiming at bringing them closer to each other and fostering the dissemination
of scientific knowledge and research. A lecture was developed based
on the partnership between scientific communicators and researchers.
The lecture, which was presented to about 110 students from three
public schools, was held in a public university in Brazil for a year,
and the impact of the lecture among the attendees was analyzed through
questionnaires and interviews. Answers to the questionnaires revealed
that the lecture helped promote the importance of chemistry and boosted
students’ interest in the field and in the university. The
interviews conducted show that students are more interested and likely
to learn chemistry and to acquaint themselves with university research.
The results point to the potential of such lectures in helping disseminate
university research and the responsibility of public universities
toward the dissemination of science.