FEATURED PROJECT

Tocando em Frente

Empowering marginalized urban communities

 

NAME

Tocando em frente

LOCATION

Rural Brazil

PROJECT GOAL

Tocando em Frente works to fulfill the Inspirational Vacuum, working with marginalised youth in brazil.

 

DURATION

2023

FUNDING

$5,000


 

PROJECT DETAILS

Tocando em Frente, in addition to transforming communities, creates changemakers. Our team is determined to use the opportunities we have been given to transform entire education systems, promoting an equal starting point for all. The project is actively realizing the universal right to dream.

 
 

At Tocando em Frente, we aim to end the Inspirational Vacuum that perpetuates the loss of countless talents in Brazil. Our theory of change revolves around three statements. First, we are only able to dream with what we know exists. Second, there there is a lack of opportunities and references in rural areas. Finally, middle school is crucial for students' intellectual and socioemotional development. Given this, an interactive pedagogical journey was created to tackle the problem. Our goal is to impact a million young people from public schools in Brazil's countryside in the next five years.

 

The problem is evident when we analyze the social origin and aspirations of public schools and countryside students. This reality holds back the young person and establishes a rising spectrum of national talents lost every year. It happens due to the cooperation of the cited items with the expectations of the student in their success allied to the opportunities given to them. Currently, there is a drastic discrepancy in education quality across Brazil.

The Northeast is the region with the highest number of adults that did not graduate High School: 3 of 5 people (60,1%). The transition from middle school to high school accentuates the educational leaving, mainly due to the necessity of working (39,1%) and the lack of interest (29,2%). Recent data shows that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the school time for the group of 6 to 15 years in September of 2020, calculated through the microdata of the PNAD Covid, was of 2 hours and 22 minutes per day, 40,9% inferior to the minimum required time of the Basic Education Law (LDBE) of 4 hours per day. According to articles published by the Federal University of Santa Catarina, the poorest students enrolled in public schools, peripheral students, and the younger ones were the group that has lost the most school time, according to articles published by the Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC. Beyond these factors, growing poverty, progressive analphabetism, and gender violence have increased and culminated in the lack of inspiration and individual aspiration for education and career perspectives. These structural problems are creating a sense of uncertainty that leads to an abyss of opportunity, perpetuating poverty and excluding many from their right to dream.

Thus, these obstacles become extremely urgent and require a solution to allow the student's capacity could be more effective. It is necessary to combat the school leaving, leading to a process that will value students' abilities and skills.

Beginning with an initial workshop based on gamification and avatars, this 2-hour-long presentation aims to introduce young people to a singular learning path and expand their horizons. Next, the student will participate in both synchronous and asynchronous activities divided into six main areas.

- English and Exchange Programs: to expand students' horizons through the dissemination of opportunities while also democratizing access to foreign language learning.

- Arts and Journalism: to stimulate the development of artistic talents, as well as offer a new way of understanding the world around them.

- Scientific Olympics and Research: to encourage the training of young scientists, offering opportunities for the development of scientific thinking. Awaken interest in the exact areas through activities focused on play.

- Debates and Model UN: to foster critical thinking and community engagement regarding solutions to problems that affect young people's lives, aiming to instigate their interest in engaging in constructive dialogue.

- Programming and Robotics: to create opportunities through technology, encouraging creative thinking and popularizing programming education.

- Volunteering: to boost students' engagement with their communities, introducing a "give back" culture. One in-person session in each area will occur per month throughout the semester. Every activity directly

develops five socio-emotional skills and five mandatory skills of the Brazilian Curricular Base.

Additionally, an expansive workbook with extra resources and exercise is also provided to guide teachers and students in their own individual learning paths. At the same time, our marketing and communications team produces multi-platform content for the project's social media channels with the purpose of inspiring using storytelling from people with similar backgrounds.

 

PROJECT LOCATION

 
 

PHOTO GALLERY

 
 

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