Integral Education Program

Total direct beneficiaries: 400 (annually)

Solar Meninos de Luz children and teens live new educational dimension, different from Community reality and even many Brazilian schools. They are protected and required, but with assured freedom for soul and life personal reconstructions. They participate of a holistic and humane education, which top goal is to learn to love and to serve the family, the community and the world they live: becoming a person, become a good man.

 

Educate to Set Free: Objectives

• Rescuing children and youth from social exclusion social disharmonious environment, victims of Cantagalo and Pavão-Pavãozinho Communities, allowing them to become human beings by desenvolving internal and external superation environment, and offering them equalization conditions compared to children who lives out of Communities, for fair competition for good jobs and vacancies in universities.
• Practice a type of holistic and preventive education, offered from 3 months of age to 18 years, which gives priority to self-discovery expansion, critical consciousness, autonomy, hope for the future and directs them to the adoption of contrary habits to poverty, violence, corruption, chemical dependency and welfarism.

 

Philosophical Education Principles

• Educating in a integral way: body and spirit.
• Love and Brotherhood pedagogy, life-changing, in a school designed as an affective and protector space for knowledge construction, good human relations, healthy principles and lifestyle.
• Guidelines inspired by Christian moral values​​: love, truth, respect, humility, solidarity, hope, faith.
• Multidisciplinary activities development, mixed methodologies,interaction and cross-cutting pedagogical projects based on constructivism, in Paulo Freire and Jose Pacheco educational concepts. Innovation with online education platform inclusion, as additional teaching tool for educational content distribution and online social interaction between students and teatchers (from 2016).
• Investment in cognitive training (culture, knowledge), moral (feeling, loving), art (creativity, awareness), sports (team spirit, rules respect, physical improvement), health (medical and dental care, psychological, speech therapy, good nutrition and sports) and technical (professional).
• Prevention: braking disruptive behavior and personality replication and, by extension, the society.
• Social equanimity search: higher education opportunity  and future jobs.
• Awakening of social responsibility through services or in nursing homes projects in community, shelters, hospitals and at Solar as own protagonists, as they become change agents in family and community generating progress, welfare and social peace.
• Family Strengthening by several involvement opportunities in the educational process of SML.
• Demanding methods of student assessment, but understanding: discipline, effort, responsibility. Family evaluation by relationship children – parents – school.
• Integration and inclusion: student / family / community / Solar Meninos de Luz / external world.

 

Goals from 2016 on

• Meninos de Luz Music School foundation, approved by Rouanet Law and in seeking sponsorships and partnerships process.
• Administrative Technical courses return (by Roberto Marinho Foundation) and ACD – Dentist Office Attendant – by Ricardo Aguilar, Dentistry professor.
• Continue the progressive improvement of digital technology and interactive projects in Elementary II and High School, later transferring methodologies for Elementary I.
• Organization, at Meninos de Luz Theatre, of Education Seminars for XXI century, performed by specialized Solar educators and guests, directed to teachers as the main public, from inside and outside the Community.

 

EDUCATION PROGRAM AS SOLAR PILOT PLANE

• Universalistic, humanistic and preventive education.
• Time: from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.
• Student can stay at Solar from 3 months to 18 years (Nursery to High School).
• Propedeutic studies for entry into universities and jobs.
• Three daily meals.
• Attendance at Solar Wellness Center: medical, dental, psychological and speech therapy, flower therapy Bach.
• It works as a university: selective and compulsory subjects, with teaching staff guidance.

 

ACTIONS – SOLAR INTEGRAL SCHOOL (CIS)

All Integral Education actions specified below are linked to CIS teaching-learning process, with teaching staff direction, and interaction between all segments.

 

1. Formal Education:

From Nursery to High School, we seek to progressively homogenize educational and interactive processes among all segments:

• Educação Infantil: Early Childhood Education: nursery I and II , Maternal I, II and III and Pre-School I and II
• Elementary School: 1st to 5th year
• Secondary School: 6th to 9th year
• High School: 1st to 3rd year
• Additional activities: workshops, projects, classes.

 

1. Complementary Education

They are performed by CEC – Complementary Education Center – in all Solar units with CIS direction.

• – Musical theory; Coral; Instruments (violin, cello, guitar, ukulele, flute)*; Percussion; Ballet; Tap dance; Hip hop; Ballroom dance; Theater; Computing; Directed Study; English; School support; Library activities; Moral – Christian; Plastic Arts and Crafts; capoeira; Judo; Futsal; Volleyball; Basketball; Yoga; Coexistence group; Group Child Moving, and other non-regular courses: photography, videos, etc.
• – Professional courses administrative techniques and ACD – Dentist Attendant* midlevel.

*NOTE 1: Music School Project was approved by Rouanet Law. Now, awaiting sponsorship.

* NOTE 2: Courses and Administrative Techniques taught by SESI before and stopped in 2015 will came back in 2016 with Roberto Marinho Foundation. ACD course directed by dentist and Dentistry professor Ricardo Aguilar, of Vittalis Clinic, in question to return between 2016 and 2017.

 

1. Presentations and interactivity

Activities seek constant interactivity through social exchanges and skills and emotional bonds construction.

• Visits to cultural spaces, audience formation (plays, exhibitions at Art Gallery), tests with other groups, shared workshops with community students; volleyball and soccer games, etc. With groups from other schools, other Communities and international interested at Solar.
• Artistic and educational presentations both by students of Solar workshops as external professional groups in our Culture Point (Theatre, Art Gallery, Library and Fine Arts and Crafts Center).
• Participation in the project “Solidary Boys”: inside and outside Community.
• Participation in Cultural Exchange Project: travel and stay of students with families from other countries.

 

 SOLIDARITY BOYS PROJECT

It is students counterpart to society, offering them amazing evolutionary chances with volunteer work. It was established in 2004 as we observed that despite all awareness, they did not believed that through own growth, they could influence people and situations improvement, which is the scope of Integral Education Program. At the time, because of parents request, SML created Solidarity Families subprogram, with parents accompanying children on visits, participating in food and clothing campaigns. They also asked to bring their other children who were not enrolled in Solar for them “to learn what life is.”

 

Goals

• Arouse responsibility awareness at SML students, with time sharing, knowledge and material goods for cooperation in helping others projects.
• Effect soul noble values as love, compassion, fraternity and solidarity, at social campaigns and actions in school, in the community and beyond.
• Increase self-esteem by stigmas and prejudices overcoming, as promote significant changes through their presence and positive actions in orphanages, smaller shelters, nursing home, pediatric hospitals, community nurseries and with Cantagalo and Pavão- Pavãozinho families, and Solar itself.
• Train cooperative activities to prepare them to lead beneficial projects to community social changes, when they leave Solar, reflecting achievements made ​​in their educational and cultural process.

 

From 2016 on

After years of notable campaigns, but sporadic, children and youth volunteering has become evaluative scoring item in Integral Education Program. Students are committed to donate 30 hours per year for Solidarity Boys Program. Educational team guides these activities achievement and internalization of values.

 

Actions

• Learn how to organize, coordinate and implement small projects of social action in nursing homes, orphanages, shelters and children’s hospitals, from research to execution.
• Concoct in their classes, gifts for internals, such as jewelry, toys, decorative objects, cards, letters, etc.
• Take dance groups, choir, musical instruments, percussion, theater, capoeira, etc., for interested institutions.
• In institutions with children, promote games, storytelling, teaching drawing, painting and small crafts.
• When visiting elderly, do occupational therapy meetings with visual arts, crafts, dance, snack, taking all the material.
• In the Lead to pregnant mother’s residence of community, in shortage situation, newborn outfit, with letters and welcome cards and ecumenical prayer for the child and family. To needy families, bring food, clothes and toys.
• In Solar itself, help in their vacant times, as volunteer, to play and take care of babies, teach crafts, dances and music for pre-school and teach school subjects to the ones with worst performance.
• Integrate all classes to help with a single work done by a group, learning cooperativeness and unselfishness. Ex.: Manufacture gifts, bake cake and cookies, create clothes and food campaigns for people to be visited by the other group.

 

EXCHANGE CULTURAL PROJECT

Solar Meninos de Luz naturally attracts groups and foreign institutions interested in exercising solidarity in specific projects at Solar dependencies, such as musical performances, sports games with our students, small works like painting our homes, improvements in sports courts, etc; gift giving on Christmas Day, Children’s Da , among other noble achievements.

It has allowed to our children and young people the breaking of isolation cords and social fences that prevent free connection between normal neighborhood, Community and people of other states and countrys. But Solar student still had to break the last exclusion barrier: himself traveling to interact with these fraternal peoples, living in their homes, knowing their habits and cultures, whether in California, South Africa, Malta, Poland , no matter where.

Attend, for example, 3rd year of high school at Springfield High School in Ohio, or participate in integration projects with teens from all over the world, gathered in Poland, together singing and dancing songs of their countries.

This is not missing anymore. Since 2011, our students have the opportunity to make international exchange and, above all, make friends, with who they start to correspond in social networks.

 

Goals

• Break down separateness walls and racial differences among children and young people in Cantagalo and Pavão-Pavãozinho communities and other places.
• Build social equity and solidarity consciousness among peoples leading to mobilization of joint actions for common progress.
• Promote self-esteem feelings confidence and overcome social and personal obstacles in our students:”I can !”, “I do!” “I deserve!”.
• Optimize English study, spoken around the world, to facilitate interaction.

 

Promoting exchange among other actions institutions:

SML thanks the valuable institutions below for realized projects.

 

From 2011 to 2014: Edu Pro Raizes
From 2014 to 2016: Mais Caminhos (Brave Kids and Brace Program)

 

Student selection form

They are chosen annually, from 1 to 6 students, among those who are disciplined, have shown better academic performance, those who stand out in English conversation workshops. The ones who go to Poland must have taste for  arts, theater, music, because they rehearse numbers to be shown for all exchange students from all over the world as an exchange of cultures.

Program recruits young students from communities with strong English knowledge, infectious personality, good sense of humor, enthusiasm, sense of adventure, experience in working with children and involvement in social projects.

 

Number of forwarded students

We have 6 students selected to travel in 2016.

 

EDUCATIONAL RESULTS

Students in universities and with jobs!

All graduates work and/or study. Almost all students in high school from 2006 (1st class) studied at universities or are studying. Some choose to work for a period before entering at university. Others get in college immediately. Many are employed in large companies.

 

Some success stories

• Vinicius da Silva Ferreira, Administration, Santa Úrsula College; he works in Young Apprentice Program of MDL Planejamento e construções construction company.
• Manuella Bacelar da Silva, Internacionais Relations, Estácio de Sá University; participated of exchange program to Capetown, South Africa in 2012; she works as a trainee in Tribuna newspaper.
• Stheffany Chagas da Silva, Turism at Cândido Mendes University; she works as operator in SoulTraveler Viagens e Turismo company.
• Thaís Fernandes Caldas, Law School, Veiga de Almeida University; she works as a trainee at juridical area in Procuradoria Geral do Estado.
• Tatiani do Nascimento Maciel, Administration UniverCidade/Gama Filho University; approved at Caixa Economica Federal public tender and works as bank attendance.
• David Justino dos Santos, Marketing, Estácio de Sá University; he works at Bureau Veritas company, Petrobrás outsourced.
• Lucas Alves Gomes, Computer science, Veiga de Almeida University; Founder director of “Favela em Dança”.
• Jefferson Ribeiro, Biology, UERJ University. Percussion teacher at Monobloco.
• Jefferson Cardoso da Silva, Administration, Estácio de Sá University; he works as a local and regional turism guide at Rio de Janeiro.
• Deborah Cristina Silveiro Nascimento, radiology technician in Escola Técnica de Radiologia CENIB; she works as attendent in Poupa Tempo Cantagalo.
• Eduarda Leonardo Alves, Administration, Estácio de Sá University; she works as na operator at Atento Brasil Call Center.
• Mariana Caldeira da Silva, Marketing, Estácio de Sá University; she works as Comercial Agent at Itaú Bank.
• Natan Matos de Carvalho, Administration, Veiga de Almeida University; he works at shopping and bids sector at Conselho Regional de Odontologia.
• Lucas de Melo Freitas, Production Engineering, Veiga de Almeida University; he works at financial area of 3R Studio company.
• Ronaldo Pereira Marinho Silva, Event Management and Production, Estácio de Sá University; Founder director of “Favela em Dança”.
• Jonatas de Oliveira Freitas, Administration, Veiga de Almeida University; he works as Administrative Assistant at Oftalmologia Bandeira de Melo clinic.
• Mariana Barbosa, Administration, Malta University through an exchange; now she’s in Germany attending and intensive German course.

 

Cultural Exchange Project selected students

• Brena Araújo – Malta (Edu ProRaízes Support)
• Camila Ferreira – Malta (Edu ProRaízes Support)
• Elizabeth Pereira – Ohio, EUA. Springfield High School, 3th year (ABCTrust Support)
• Jean Ckless – Malta (Edu ProRaízes Support)
• Luan Machado – Cape Town – South Africa (Edu ProRaízes Support)
• Luma Araújo – Denver – Colorado, EUA (Brigde Linguatec Support)
• Manuella Bacelar – Cape Town – South Africa (Edu ProRaízes Support)
• Mariana Barbosa – Malta (Edu ProRaízes Support)
• Matheus Barbosa – Malta (Edu ProRaízes Support)
• Matheus Lopes – Malta (Edu ProRaízes Support)
• Ronaldo Marinho – Canada (Edu ProRaízes Support)
• Clara Débora Lima Barros – Poland (Mais Caminhos / Brave Kids Support)
• Nicolli Victória Ferreira Bráulio- Poland (Mais Caminhos / Brave Kids Support)
• Paola Christine dos Santos – Poland (Mais Caminhos / Brave Kids Support)
• Rebeca dos Santos Rossi – Poland (Mais Caminhos / Brave Kids Support)

 

 Selected students in 2016

• Rebeca dos Santos Rossi – Poland (Mais Caminhos / Brave Kids Support)
• Ana Clara Melo Reis – Poland (Mais Caminhos / Brave Kids Support)
• Anna carolina Souza Fidelis – Poland (Mais Caminhos / Brave Kids Support)
• Davi Ferreira de Jesus – Poland (Mais Caminhos / Brave Kids Support)
• Marcos Paulo Alves Pinheiro – Poland (Mais Caminhos / Brave Kids Support)
• Francielle Martins de Souza- Conecticut/EUA (Mais Caminhos / Brayce Program Support)