Acoustics Education and Outreach in Santa Maria: an Effectiveness Study

This article examines student engagement during the first year of activities within the project "Acústicas do Futuro". The project aims to introduce high school students in Santa Maria, Brazil, to fundamental concepts of Acoustics and Vibration, while also highlighting the contributions of women professionals in the field. In 2024, the project team conducted in-person activities at one high school and supplemented these with home-based tasks designed to reinforce the concepts introduced. For the home-based activities, students were provided with a detailed instructional document containing step-by-step explanations and a series of questions to guide their learning. Following the completion of these tasks, the project team evaluated the students performance on the activities and analyzed their responses to an evaluation form that assessed their overall experience with the project. The analysis revealed that, in general, the students demonstrated a good understanding of the core concepts of Acoustics and Vibration. However, engagement with one of the home-based activities was notably low, likely due to its theoretical and mathematical nature. To address this issue, the project team is considering revising this activity for the next year of the project.