Espirito Santo

Rio de Janeiro

22/10/21

In order to contribute to improving the quality of the early childhood development and learning process, Vale Foundation maintains a program to strengthen early childhood education offered by public schools. This year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the project’s teachers are looking for new strategies to accompany the children’s return to schools and identify advances and challenges faced by them. The training seminar “Documenting to make children’s learning visible”, held for professionals in the city of Cariacica (ES) in September, had as its main point to present one of these strategies: the mini-stories, successfully developed in the municipal network of Novo Hamburg (RS) and collected in a book. The idea is that, through notes, photos, films and recordings, it is possible to better monitor the students’ development. 

“From the sensitive look at our practice, we begin to put the writing of mini-stories into action. This strategy is a way of recording and making visible the child’s learning. It builds a memory of what was experienced in the school context”, said the coordinator of Children Education of Novo Hamburgo, Luciane Focesi, during the seminar. Also participating in the event were teachers from the municipality Cristieli Cardoso and Viviane Heck. 

The professionals’ reports inspired the educators in Cariacica, who are already starting to take steps towards recording the mini-stories. “This mini-story proposal considers the child as the protagonist, above all because their voice has a place, including in the evaluation”, commented the participant of the Waleska Costa Betini seminar. “I’m here already full of ideas for the mini-stories”, added teacher Mariana Volkers, who also participated in the event.  

The seminar is available here.  

Schools in Mangaratiba (RJ) receive materials and equipment 

The Infant Education project also benefited the school network in the municipality of Mangaratiba, in Rio de Janeiro, which began receiving materials and equipment in September.  

One of the project’s fronts, the donation of materials is carried out through a priority selection work together with the schools, according to the needs of each one. Among the materials are wooden playgrounds, patio toys, games, biosafety equipment such as mobile sinks and exhaust fans, as well as cafeteria tables, refrigerator and washing machine.  

The project also trains approximately 70 education professionals. “The objective is to expand the possibilities of educational and pedagogical work aimed at children aged 0 to 5 years, by contributing to improving the quality of the development and learning process,” says Livia Zandonadi, Territory manager at the Vale Foundation. The Vale Foundation’s initiative in the region is carried out in partnership with the municipality’s Municipal Education, Sport and Leisure Secretariat and developed by the NGO Solidariedade França-Brasil. By the end of the year, around 3,000 items will be delivered to the units.