What is the Ayemboê Initiative?
The Ayemboê Initiative is a continuing education, research, and outreach project of the Oceanographic Observatory (O2), focused on active learning in climate and environmental data science. Its core objective is to foster technical capacity building through hands-on training, applied research, and open knowledge production, particularly in the fields of programming, geospatial analysis, climate change, and agriculture.
Since its creation, the initiative has supported and trained more than ten students from diverse academic backgrounds, including Environmental Sciences, Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Water Resources, and related fields. Most participants engage directly with programming in Python, geographic information systems (GIS), climate data analysis, and applications to agricultural and environmental challenges.
Educational approach and scope
Ayemboê is grounded in the concept of learning by doing. Participants are encouraged to develop practical skills through real-world problems, collaborative workflows, and the production of tangible outputs, such as scripts, analytical pipelines, and monitoring tools. Whenever possible, results are shared openly, reinforcing transparency, reproducibility, and collective learning.
The initiative also incorporates affirmative actions, aiming to promote inclusion and broaden access to technical training opportunities in climate and environmental sciences.
Institutional context and funding model
Although the Oceanographic Observatory is a research laboratory linked to a public university, the Ayemboê Initiative is not funded by any public agency or external institution. All activities are supported exclusively through the Observatory’s own resources and private donations.
This independent funding model allows Ayemboê to remain flexible, responsive, and experimental in its educational strategies, while maintaining strong academic rigor and institutional alignment with the Observatory’s broader mission.
Looking ahead
By combining education, research, and outreach, the Ayemboê Initiative continues to expand its impact, strengthening human capacity in climate and environmental data science and contributing to socially relevant, open, and applied knowledge.
Origin of the name Ayemboê
The name Ayemboê originates from the Tupi-Guarani language family and can be approximately translated as “I learn.” In Guarani, linguistic particles rarely carry a complete meaning when used in isolation; instead, meaning emerges from their combination into more complex expressions.
The word Ayemboê is composed of several particles:
- A — personal marker;
- ye — reciprocal index;
- m(b)o — active particle;
- ê — suffix indicating skill or ability.
More than a literal translation, Ayemboê conveys the idea of learning as an active, relational, and transformative process, going beyond the mere acquisition of knowledge. This concept is directly aligned with the philosophy of the initiative, which emphasizes hands-on learning, direct engagement with real-world problems, and the development of skills through experience.