Agents of Change SPOTLIGHT ENGLISH

SPOT LIGHT escola CONCEPT

.GIVE Change happens to us all the time. At times, we may not even notice how these changes affect our lives.

Change, as part of our journey, works in partnership with time, and is present in everything we do. It may be challenging to focus on the positive aspects of change, especially now during a pandemic, because that's exactly when we feel hopeless or even powerless, but that change brings us the strength to act, to have an impact, and to make things happen.

What changes do you want to see in the world? And in yourself? How does the transformation from within connect with the outside world? In this edition of our digital magazine SPOTLIGHT, we shed light on the agents of transformation. We hope you will get inspired by their stories and their power of changing within and outside their community.

Where does the change begin? By reading the following pages! Get ready for action!

“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”

Albert Camus

TAKE.

The impact you give is equal to the love you take.

Agents of change in an ever adapting world.

AGENTS OF CHANGE

Design for social impact with the SustaINnovate team, Design Project surviving the challenges of the pandemic.

Last week, while Concept learners were engaged in their online classes and participated in the international MAP test evaluation, less than 150 of the 1,500 students from the municipal school of CIEJA Perus accessed the activities that their teachers posted in Google Classroom.

Aware of the low access to the online platform, the teachers of the public school, based in the outskirts of SĂŁo Paulo, reunited with their students in WhatsApp groups. "We were able to maintain systematic contact with 667 students", states the Head of School of CIEJA Perus I, Francieli Lima. "But we are worried about those who we could not speak to, as they are in a situation of extreme social vulnerability. We are worried about their food security."

The students at CIEJA Perus are teenagers, adults and even elderly that went back to school to recover years and learning that they missed when they were age appropriately enrolled in elementary school. There is also a significant percentage of refugee immigrants that set up their residence in the region.

There are a few reasons why the students do not access the lessons their educators have been developing. One of them, the Head of School, Franciele told us is regarding food security, and the lack of employment and food for many of the students. For this group, studying is not a priority, even though the connections made with the school community could generate new opportunities. The other reason is the lack of computers and cellphones with internet access. And this is where we can help!

DURING THE PURSUIT FOR A PARTNER SCHOOL, THEY WERE INTRODUCED TO FRANCIELI LIMA, HEAD OF SCHOOL OF CIEJA PERUS I, A SCHOOL LOCATED IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY OF SÃO PAULO, SERVING TEENAGERS, YOUNG ADULTS, REFUGEES, AND THE ELDERLY. How can we help?

The Concept São Paulo community launched the campaign, Conexão Amiga #connectme, which aims to collect electronic devices that will be donated to the students of CIEJA Perus I. Computers, notebooks, tablets or cellphones, new or used, even with small defects, are welcomed because they will be repaired!

The initiative was created by mothers and educators from SustaINnovate, a group that has been meeting since March with the aim of studying and proposing a social innovation project. In the beginning of August, the group announced an important partnership that will generate an even greater impact on the project. The company AmericaNet joined the cause and committed to enable free internet access for the whole region by installing an antenna at CIEJA Perus I.

"The initiative of a private school to help people in need and lacking tools to continue their studies for us is an inspiration.

It shows that together we are better and stronger, so we are in this project.", says the president of AmericaNet, Lincoln Oliveira. "We are currently in the testing phase, and have receptors installed in ten houses, to see how the internet signal arrives" states Camila Magnus, one of the members of SustaINnovate, who reached out and made the connection with AmericaNet. "Now, more than ever, we need the engagement of the families in donating computers and cellphones," she says.

THERE IS STILL A LOT TO LEARN, IMPLEMENT, AND ADJUST, BUT HOPE AND DETERMINATION ARE INGREDIENTS IN ABUNDANCE AND NOT LACKING IN THESE MOTHERS. The story behind the scenes In February 2020, our Head of Service Design, Luciana Pölönen was thrilled to launch a program for our community to learn more about Human-Centered Service Design by IDEO. The pilot program would last 7 months. It was essential for the learning experience that all participants would go through the process for full holistic comprehension, connecting the core values of Escola Concept, as a ProjectBased Learning School.

The entire group of 12 participants was able to meet once again in the first week of March. Then, quarantine came and brought with it a full-wave of uncertainty. Other concerns appeared and with them, different priorities and agendas had to be coped with. As weeks passed, and the new reality had settled in our homes, they decided to give it a try again. From the original 12 participants, 4-5 of them had a newfound strength, were able to adapt and persist in order to continue and focus on our common goals. After all, humancentered service design is all about listening, shaping, and co-creating.

While they did not know for sure how to continue online, the group decided to follow, step by step, the Human Centered Design workshop by IDEO. They sent out surveys, learned from mistakes, and contacted their network. Some tests failed, but they learned the most valuable lesson: fail fast, fail forward. And up they went!

The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on the ever-increasing gap amongst people and one thing was certain: virtual school was not for the faint of internet connection. It was a great opportunity to learn by doing, but what about these communities whose students lack everything from basic needs, including a decent internet connection?

During the pursuit for a partner school, they were introduced to Francieli Lima, Head of School of CIEJA Perus I. The rest of this story you already know and you are invited to take part!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUSTAINNOVATE CAMPAIGN? CLICK HERE.

empathy

awakening to

Having the title of educator and postgraduate in neuro psychopedagogy are not enough to define the size of the person that she represents.

She is known for being able to entertain children in storytelling, being very empathetic, as well as welcoming and caring. We are talking about Luciana Fusco, a Toddlers Assistant at Concept RibeirĂŁo Preto.

In the following interview, Dr. Fusquinha, Luciana's official clown name, tells us how her experience as a volunteer at Expresso Riso with a group of other clown doctors that would visit hospitals in the region, has completely transformed her life.

How did your interest in volunteering arise?

I like to learn and what drove my interest to this project was the challenge of being inside a hospital. I used to think that volunteer work would allow me to help change people's lives, but in fact, it changed mine. When you serve others, you undergo an internal transformation and discover how important it is to develop self-knowledge.

What does it mean to be a clown?

Being a clown means knowing how to look, feel and act! You have to work with emotions, actions and reactions, while understanding what happens in the environment.

What do you feel when you do this job?

I always have butterflies in my stomach knowing that I have a new challenge to face. A mission is to change the mood of the environment, that at times can be sad, while getting to know the patients, their stories, and their dreams. It is amazing how a simple game or just being there as a listener can help minimize the suffering. I see the return in the patient's shining eyes or when a smile appears.

Where did your storytelling ability come from?

I spent my childhood at my uncles' farm in Minas Gerais, where we used to sit around the table to tell stories and I was always attentive to everything I heard. All my games had storytelling behind and I really enjoyed being the teacher.

Was there a moment that marked you the most?

Yes, when I read stories to children and teenagers with special visual needs. That's when I realized how they enjoy listening to stories, how they build mental images and can feel the elements that are part of it, with observations and details that would go unnoticed by most people. They really experience the story.

What does volunteering mean in your life?

It is a job that involves love, joy and faith. It offers the opportunity to work with complex situations, which makes us develop many skills, in addition to love and respect for others.

What is the training needed to become a clown?

To be a hospital clown is different from a circus clown because the training is very serious and includes many techniques. We study topics such as; action and reaction, voice, saying no, spirituality, musicalization, language, costumes, games, biosafety and many other things.

In this journey, there is a lot of self development as well. I searched from within and brought my inner child to the surface. That is the part of me who dreams, who has hope, who plays, and has creativity, while allowing me to experience acts of surrender, equality, enthusiasm, lightness, humor and spontaneity.

What has changed in your performance during the pandemic?

During the pandemic, the group Expresso Riso is promoting lives, spreading positive messages on social networks and sending messages to patients in hospitals. The initiative, in addition to training for volunteers, also receives donations to support its projects.

More information can be obtained at expressoriso.com.br

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ― Maya Angelou

REAL learning situations THE PROJECT-BASED LEARNING PATH PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNERS TO DEVELOP SKILLS, WHILE LEARNING CONTENT AND DISCOVERING TALENT. AT ESCOLA CONCEPT, LEARNERS CONSIDER ANOTHER RELEVANT QUESTION: HOW WILL MY PROJECT POSITIVELY IMPACT SOCIETY? ALLOWING THEIR PROJECT TO BECOME A POTENTIAL SOCIAL INNOVATION.

Because of this, four Concept Salvador learners' projects were selected to be presented at the FabLearn 2020 Conference, at Columbia University in New York, an event that brings together the greatest influencers in education, design and research every year. Due to the global pandemic, this year the show will be online, on October 10th and 11th.

The projects aim to promote well-being, health and sustainability, with innovative and practical solutions. An example is the case of TrashBall Can, which started with the observation of learners in the school cafeteria. They were bothered by the amount of leftover food and napkins on the cafeteria floor after meals. So, the learners; Bernardo Lopes (Grade 9), Sophia Almeida (Grade 8) and Angel Miranda (Grade 7), created a themed trash can in the shape of a basketball hoop. In a playful and fun way, this encouraged the correct disposal of garbage in the school cafeteria.

In addition to the FabLearn Flagship Conference 2020 (Columbia University, the TrashBall Can was selected and participated in the FabLearn Latin America 2019 (Montevideo, Uruguay) and the 10th Meeting of Young Scientists (UFBA).

Another project focused on sustainable actions is the RePaper project, developed by learners Gabriel Cardoso (Grade 9), LetĂ­cia Alfano (Grade 8), Maria Gonzaga (Grade 8) during the scientific club "Social Commitment, Communication and Technology". After realizing the high consumption of paper at school, the students developed a wastebasket that aims to streamline the first two of the recycling process: the fragmentation of the paper and the process of soaking the fragmented paper for 48 hours, the RePaper.

Still following the premise of sustainability, learners Gabriel Rabelo (Grade 7), Rafael Hasan (Grade 8), Nicollas Niwton (Grade 8) and Rodrigo Sturaro (Grade 8), brought an innovative idea in the search for water supply and reuse. The Shelter project allows the use and reuse of water in the most diverse situations, especially in the garden, due to its ease of construction and adaptability.

Last but not least, we have the Note Diaper, a project that, in addition to participating in FabLearn (Columbia University), was one of the 300 finalists at Febrace 2020, at USP, participated in FabLearn Latin America 2019, in Montevideo, and was in 2nd place at the 10th Meeting of Young Scientists, from Universidade Federal da Bahia, in the category "Office of Scientific Curiosities".

Developed by learners Alice Nunes (Grade 9), Emanuel Castro (Grade 8) and Enzo Franรงa (Grade 8), Note Diaper is a system that notifies the caregiver when it is time to change an adult patient's diaper, promoting quality of life , well-being and avoiding illness and discomfort.

These projects developed by learners throughout their academic journey represent not only the result of learning itself, but also the growth of students as transforming citizens in the society in which they live.

chain of

GOOD Aware of their privileged situation and power to transform, families, collaborators and learners of Escola Concept are engaged in multiple projects that deserve our recognition. Get to know some of them!

The chain link "From a very young age, I have always reflected on how we received help throughout our lives and how we were able to pass it on. I have participated in some projects with the NGO Delvita and donated “cestas básicas.” During the past few months, we have intensified our work by helping more families. One family in a very difficult situation has 5 children that includes a newborn baby, where the mother died and the father is unemployed. We have done work in the whole community and we are committed to offering food every month for the duration of the pandemic.

We also embrace warm clothing campaigns with partners, and produce sets of sweatshirts for all children in the communities of Vitória, Vila União, Vila Cruzeiro, in Ribeirão Preto. We distributed more than 1,800 blankets among communities, homeless people, shelters and nursing homes. We collaborated in the construction of a community kitchen in the Vila União favela, and are able to serve meals to the entire community, on a daily basis, thanks to all the donations.

Continuing this project, a library will still be built.

We will continue with several initiatives and we are always open to anyone who wants to join us. As you know, there are several ways to help others and anyone can do it! Be it with any gesture, just be attentive and we can change the life of others with a simple smile! " LucianaTsuzuki Godoy Pompei, mother of Felipe (Grade 6) and Yuri (Grade 3), from Escola Concept Ribeirão Preto

A network to understand emotions "I am a journalist and psychologist and my purpose in life is to serve others, using the gift of communication to generate love in each heart. In these times of pandemic and scarcity, I feel that I have to do more... So I opened my Instagram to the public to share reflections and feelings. I spoke openly about the loss of my father to COVID-19 and I also made space for other people to publicize their thoughts, actions and services.

Together with my children, we started making and selling tie-dye T-shirts with the donations going to a social cause. It was a metaphor for our feelings. I told them that when we add color to the white Tshirt we ease the pain and turn everything into love. I try to be the adult I want my children to be. " Letícia Bighetti Savegnago, mother of Allegra (Grade 1) and Lorenzo (Pre K4), from Escola Concept Ribeirão Preto

Taking care of the planet Even though the entry point of a project was investigating why animals cannot live in space, it ended up on planet Earth and focused on the human conditions of survival. “Learners were able to understand how to reduce impacts on the ecosystem, whether through conscious consumption or by avoiding waste and taking care of the correct disposal of trash.", explains Michelle Vendramine, Grade 1 educator at Concept Ribeirão.

Débora Alvarenga was another learner quite engaged in the project. She explained the concept of upcycling toys to her class, showing how she built furniture for her dollhouse by using packaging material that otherwise would have gone to the trash. "It is interesting to notice how she could envision things like lids as pieces to create furniture for her dolls", says Pamela Santos, Grade 1 A educator.

Michelle Vendramine and Pamela Santos, Grade 1 educators at Escola Concept Ribeirão

The result was also reflected in the learner's routine at home, as families adapted the idea of separating garbage for selective collection in their households. It was the case of Victor Camargo Hirasike, one of our Grade 1 learners, who became responsible for recycling garbage in his house. “It is very simple, I don't even know why people find it difficult to separate trash. I use cardboard boxes, where I put plastic, glass and paper. I also separate the tabs from soda cans that can be exchanged for hospital wheelchairs”, explains the learner.

Always in action!

Milena Oliveira, Registrar at Escola Concept Salvador, did not want to sit idly while knowing about the reality of people who are suffering the most during the pandemic. The ones that are in a vulnerable social or economic situation, that have lost their sources of income or are informal workers.

On her own initiative, Milena started to distribute basic food baskets in neighborhoods such as Caixa D'água and Cruz do Pascoal, which are poorer communities in the outskirts of Salvador. Apart from these neighborhoods, she also contributed to the Centro Cultural Malê Debalê, in Itapuã.

Campaign on Instagram "The Pre-K4B and C learners at Escola Concept São Paulo went wild in the defense of forests, rivers, oceans and animals! During the rich learning journey they researched about animals of different habitats, understood the concept of extinction, and participated in a lecture with the founder of the NGO Ampara Animal. Afterwards, they created an environmental awareness campaign to fundraise for the cause of animal protection, whether for the adoption of pets or the care of wild species.

In the account @campanhaanimal on Instagram, they started to publish photos and videos of products they made with their families, such as necklaces made with recycled materials, and shared tips for a more sustainable life. It is worth accompanying them and motivating such a powerful initiative, especially when considering that it came from children that are only 4 or 5 years old."

Maria Eduarda Fernandes, Pre-K4B educator at Escola Concept São Paulo

Milena believes that nobody can live well while the next one is going through difficulties. "Seeing the joy in people's eyes when receiving care or a word of comfort, is very motivating.

I feel very grateful to be able to make a difference in their lives!"

SPOT LIGHT

escola CONCEPT