Attraction Or Repulsion? Approaching Soils With University Students in Viçosa, Brazil.

The Federal University of Viçosa, in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, is traditionally a university specialized in Agrarian Sciences. Soil contents are taught to students in one up to five periods of 60 class hours. The first and introductory discipline is Soil Genesis and it is the only one offered to courses as Geography and Biology. In this context, the subject is decisive to involve and attract students to soils.  Since 30 years, a pedagogical approach based on socio constructivism by Paulo Freire’s education ideas has being applied. Learning environments and materials were built up to stimulate dialogues and exchange of knowledge between students themselves and strengthened their role as principals in their own learning. The approach was very successful and made the subject one of the most popular of the university. Nowadays, the students have less and less contact with soils and rural livelihoods before they enter the university and the challenge put for the subject is how to make the connections between their (mostly urban) life and the soils, that are overlooked as  essential to life on Earth. Attracting students to soils involves looking at meanings and perceptions related to soils to sensitize and create awareness about their importance. Best achievements have been obtained when the university students are involved in outreach activities aimed to basic education schools and to general public, in a “teach to learn” approach.