History

Since 1999 the Fernand Braudel Institute conducts programs on education, addressing the institutional and leadership problems behind poor teaching and learning at Brazil's public schools. Our work in the periphery of Greater Sao Paulo has shown how these communities have evolved and consolidated, fostering new aspirations as basic infrastructure and life conditions improved. However, low investments in public education continue to threaten these communities' gains and future development.

In a recent survey with 1100 families, our researchers found that poor residents are becoming increasingly frustrated with the quality of public services, including their children's schools. Brazil's future growth depends on its ability to invest in human capital and explore the entrepreneurial spirit that drives communities like the ones with whom we work. This is why the Institute has been advocating a political consensus to improve public education. In Brazil, where too many education "experts" rarely or never engage in any hands-on work with public school teachers and students, our Institute has been able to relate research, policy, and practice.

The Reading Circles project began in 2000, with its first group of students at a municipal school in Diadema. In 2005 we reached 1400 students at 21 public schools. Our work in the schools has strengthened our partnership with school officials and attracted the interest of a small group of committed teachers who were eager to collaborate with us and participate in our in-school programming. Our recently created in-school programming, in partnership with teachers, has begun to demonstrate to school officials that our program can be integrated into the school curriculum.