The Scientific and Cultural Dissemination Center (CDCC in Portuguese) at the University of São Paulo (USP) is located in the city center of São Carlos, housed in a historic building that was inaugurated in 1908 by Società Dante Alighieri, and acquired in 1985 by the University of São Paulo. It also integrates the CDCC, the Dietrich Schiel Observatory, whose building is installed in Area 1 on the USP campus in São Carlos.
The main objective of the CDCC is to establish a link between USP and the community, facilitating the population’s access to the facilities and results of the University’s scientific and cultural production. Considering this, it promotes and guides activities that aim to kindle citizens’ interest in science and culture, especially young people. It also collaborates with undergraduate students’ education in Exact Sciences as they can benefit from the knowledge gained from carrying out educational projects at CDCC.
The CDCC provides teaching resources to elementary and high school teachers that can be used in their classes and also offers courses and specific guidance in the areas of Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Biology, Environmental Education and Astronomy.
The CDCC is open to the public who drop in and school groups by appointment. Visits include two themed gardens, Jardim da Percepção (the Garden of Perception where the headquarters are located) and Jardim do Céu na Terra (the Garden of Heaven on Earth in Area 1 on the USP campus), the Electricity Exhibit and the Observatory.
In addition to visits to the permanent exhibitions, the CDCC offers a program of guieded field visits to a Nature Trail, the São Carlos Municipal Sanitary Landfill and the Agroecological Backyard. Other services offered to the public include: loaning out kits from the Experimentoteca, the Library, the Cineclube (Cinema Club) and Internet access.
Watch the video on CDCC activities:
