Maranhão

22/12/21

The “Literary Routs and Networks” Program, which encourages access to books in public educational institutions, inaugurated reading rooms in four secondary schools in São Luís and in two in the municipality of Bacabeira, in Maranhão. The initiative is a partnership between the Vale Foundation and Cidade Escola Aprendiz and the State Department of Education, who understand reading as an important element in the education of citizens from childhood. In  the coming months, two schools in Arari and three in Santa Rita will also have new reading rooms.

The Program also rewarded initiatives to promote books, reading and literature developed in the 11 public high schools in the municipalities of Maranhão that benefit from the “Literary Routes and Networks” Program. The award will be R$3,000 in the form of an incentive for each school covered.

The importance of improving the collection of works in reading rooms

To compose the collection of the eleven reading rooms that participate in this first stage of the Program, a total of furniture and 5,011 books were donated, with one book per enrolled student. The initiative provides support for the physical structuring of reading rooms in schools and also for the Farol do Saber de Arari (a learning space offered by the Government of Maranhão). In addition, it works to expand the collection of titles in reading rooms in schools; in the formation of the school community to manage the space and in the promotion of students’ reading skills.

The Vale Foundation’s Northern Territory Manager, Marcus Finco highlighted that investing in education for the Vale Foundation is to provide opportunities for a better and more dignified life. “Expanding repertoires and having contact with literature is fundamental in the learning process. The partnership with the State Department of Education, in the ‘Routes and Literary Networks’ Program, is helping to expand access to books and reading for students in Maranhão”, he added. For Adelaide Diniz, superintendent of the Teaching and Learning Network of the Secretary of State for Education (Seduc), this delivery is significant: “These reading spaces are essential for the growth of students, for school practices and support for all work teaching and classroom management so that learning actually takes place”.