The GeoJovem group of the Brazilian Association for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ABMS) has been testing new formats to bring students and young professionals closer to the geotechnical community. Two initiatives stood out at Brazilian regional events in November 2025.
Passa ou Recalca: a geotechnical game show
Passa ou Recalca is an educational, competitive game show created by GeoJovem to test the knowledge of students and young professionals. Its name is a pun on a well-known Brazilian TV quiz, Passa ou Repassa ("pass or pass back"), swapping the last word for recalca, the Portuguese for "settles".
Teams answer technical questions on soil mechanics, retaining structures and foundations. A team that does not know the answer can "pass" the question to its opponents; if they do not know either, they can pass it back, which in the game is called "settling" the question, forcing the first team to answer at the risk of losing points.
The game made its official debut at the 7th GeoNE 2025 (Northeast Geotechnical Symposium), held in João Pessoa, Paraíba, on 27–28 November 2025. More than 15 civil engineering students and recent graduates from the region competed in teams. The relaxed atmosphere encouraged quick thinking and networking, and the winners received technical books, software licences and registrations for COBRAMSEG 2026.
The hosts on stage at the first edition of Passa ou Recalca, 7th GeoNE 2025.
One of the competing teams of students and recent graduates.
Winners received technical books, software licences and COBRAMSEG 2026 registrations.
Photos: GeoNE 2025 Organising Committee.
Bate-papo GeoJovem: young engineers interviewing young engineers
Bate-papo GeoJovem ("GeoJovem chat") is a series of informal interviews conducted by young geotechnical engineers during COBRAE (9th Brazilian Conference on Slope Stability) and GEOSUL (14th Symposium on Geotechnical Engineering Practice in Southern Brazil), held together in Garibaldi, Rio Grande do Sul, on 17–22 November 2025. The conversations explored the career paths, experiences and challenges of the young engineers attending the events, encouraging exchange and integration across the profession.
The interviews are available on YouTube (in Portuguese): episode 1 and episode 2.
News submitted by Willians Perlley Alexandre da Silva, ABMS young members liaison, through the YMPG news form. Does your society have news from its young members? Share it with us.