IMPA's Olympic Girls program ends 2025 celebrating expansion.

Emotion, pride and hope marked the closing of the IMPA Girls Olympics (MOI) program activities in 2025. Held last Friday (6), at Veiga de Almeida University (UVA), Maracanã campus, in Rio de Janeiro, the event celebrated the growth of the project, the students' journeys of overcoming challenges and IMPA's renewed commitment to female presence in STEM fields. In total, 180 students attended the program which included a round table, presentation of papers and workshops promoted by MOI and UVA.

At the opening, the coordinator of MOI, Letícia Rangel, highlighted the program's expansion and its transformative impact. “It’s a great joy to have this auditorium full. This year we took on the challenge of expanding and growing MOI by 50%. In 2024, we were 12 schools, and we increased to 18 in 2025. One more joined at the very end of the year, completing an expansion project for 2026—when other municipalities will be able to join the project. Today, we are about 180 people integrated into MOI, and one certainty unites us: the certainty that it is possible, it is possible for science and girls to advance together, to walk together.”

Next year, the MOI will arrive in São Francisco de Itabapoana , in the North Fluminense region. Created in 2019, the program is an initiative of IMPA to encourage the participation of female students in basic education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), increasing their interest and confidence in scientific careers.

Letícia Rangel

Vitória dos Santos Silva, a former Olympic athlete and statistics student at UFF (Universidade Federal Fluminense), is one example of the transformative power of MOI. During the event's discussion panel, Vitória shared the challenges of her academic journey and emphasized the importance of persistence. “The message I wanted to leave you with is that it wasn't easy. But if there's one thing I've understood, it's that without challenges, we also don't achieve anything. I know we'll always face difficulties and challenges, but it's important not to stop in the face of them.”

The roundtable discussion featured Caroline do Carmo, who at 19 became the youngest female physicist in Brazil upon graduating. This achievement came at the same age as the renowned scientist César Lattes. Currently, she is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Mathematical Sciences at UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro). During the discussion, Caroline shared how she overcame financial barriers, long commutes, and the limited presence of women in the scientific field. A proponent of public policies that expand access to education, she highlighted the impact of being surrounded by so many girls interested in science.

“I am very happy to be able to have this view here in the auditorium because in most academic places I visit it is not common to have so many girls, so many women together, especially so many girls who are from the same group, from the same organization. It is very gratifying to have this moment today.”

Da esquerda à direita: Júlia Ramos, Vitória Silva, Caroline do Carmo, Viviane Japiassú e Emanuella Carneiro

This representation makes all the difference in the daily lives of the program's participants. "I joined MOI because I saw in the project a great opportunity to integrate more women into mathematics, something essential for our society," highlighted Marina Pinto, a student at Colégio Pedro II.

UVA professor Viviane Japiassú, the event's host, concluded the panel by celebrating the strengthening of the support network among girls and women in science. “I want to congratulate everyone here, professors, and all of you. It is a joy to meet and celebrate, to celebrate this achievement of each one of you. The achievement is occupying this space, learning more, and seeking new paths to explore.”

Firjan Sesi Schools have been partners with MOI since 2024. Jade Bernardo, a student at Firjan Sesi Benfica, celebrated the closer contact with mathematics provided by the program. “I think it’s wonderful how MOI is a project that brings girls into mathematics and science, and inspires the group through the activities and the courses we want to pursue.”

Colleague Yasmin Torres, also from the Benfica unit, said that participating in the MOI represented the fulfillment of a personal dream. “I was looking for a group, a team that liked mathematics, and the MOI has been incredible because I am having the chance to meet people who work in this area, who are inspiring. The MOI encourages and supports me to continue in mathematics. It's wonderful to meet people from other units and have contact with them.”

Letícia, coordinator of MOI since its inception in 2019, has witnessed the growth of the program and its participants. “The difference between the girls who were at IMPA at the beginning of the year and the girls who are here at the closing ceremony today is noticeable, striking. You are more confident, more beautiful, stronger, and more powerful.”