PROMOTING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH THE UPAON-AÇU MAGAZINE AND THE RESEARCH GROUP "SCIENCE IS POPULAR"

Abstract

This communication proposal presents actions and contexts of an innovative practice in education in Maranhão, resulting in the Upaon-Açu Journal, a hybrid publication (print and digital) with alternating semi-annual periodicity between formats, created at IEMA Pleno São Luís-Centro through its research group A Ciência é Pop (Science is Pop). We detail the activities that gave rise to the journal and its significance as a pedagogical manifesto that combines secondary education with scientific research, promoting the democratization of access to academic knowledge. The journal launched its first edition in 2025, composed of 11 articles developed by scholarship students from the ICJ/CNPq Program and their supervising professors. The journal has guaranteed material for future editions, with articles from medalists from events such as the IEMA Literary Olympiad (OLIEMA), Moviema Sports Olympiad, Scientific, Literary and Ethnic-Racial Fair (FECLIE), and Moviema Robotics Olympiad. Its main objective is to consolidate a replicable model of research that combines the pursuit of teaching excellence and social impact. The initiative is a recognition of the scientific potential of basic education, which benefited from the support of CNPq, the dedication of supervising teachers and, above all, the student-researchers, who demonstrate that science is not a privilege, but a right for all, reaffirming that science can become accessible to the general public.