Good Education for 3,000 Brazilian Kids post Covid

The Reading in Schools project has always been built on a simple but powerful belief: that a story, when shared with care, imagination and affection, can open doors in a child’s life.

Over the years, with the support of GlobalGiving donors and other friends of ACER Brasil, this project has taken books, puppets, storytelling, paper folding, games and creativity into public school classrooms in Diadema. It has helped children discover reading not as an obligation, but as pleasure, curiosity and possibility. It has also offered teenagers and young people their first opportunity to grow as mediators, educators and role models for younger children.

We want to begin by saying a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported this journey. Your contributions have helped keep alive a project that is loved by children, valued by teachers and transformative for the teenagers who deliver it. Every donation, large or small, has helped make it possible for children to experience the joy of a story told especially for them.

At the same time, we also need to be honest with you. A project like this requires stable and diverse sources of income if it is to continue reaching schools regularly and with quality. The work involves preparing young mediators, planning activities, purchasing and maintaining books and materials, coordinating with schools, supervising sessions and ensuring that the children receive not just an occasional activity, but a meaningful and consistent experience throughout the school year.

For this reason, ACER Brasil has been working hard to find new ways of sustaining the Reading in Schools project. We are very happy to share that the project has now been approved to raise funds from companies through a government cultural incentive programme. This is an important achievement for ACER and for the future of the project. It means that companies will be able to support the work through a recognised public mechanism for investing in culture.

This approval is a celebration of the cultural value of what happens in the classroom when a child listens to a story, imagines a new world, creates a puppet, retells a tale or asks to take a book home. It recognises that reading mediation is not only an educational activity, but also a cultural experience — one that helps children access literature, creativity, language and imagination.

Thank you for being part of this journey so far. We hope you will continue walking with us as we open this new door and work to ensure that many more children can discover the power of stories.

In many classrooms in public schools in Diadema, a special moment interrupts the school routine. Suddenly, reading mediators enter carrying books, objects and puppets. The children gather closer, curious. A story begins.

For many students aged 6 to 10, this is the first time that reading appears not as a school task, but as discovery, imagination and play. This is how the Reading in Schools programme works, developed by ACER Brasil in partnership with public schools.

Over the years, thousands of children have taken part in these reading mediation sessions. For many of them, what may seem like a simple experience became a lasting memory — and in some cases the beginning of a relationship with reading that continues to this day.

When reading helps overcome shyness

Isabela clearly remembers when she participated in the activities while still in primary school. Now 12 years old, she recognises how much those experiences helped build her confidence.

“I think the experience was really good, I liked it a lot… I feel it helped me develop public speaking and helped me lose my shyness.”

She explains that before, speaking in front of others was difficult.

“In sixth grade I was more shy, more reserved, and I would lose my words. In seventh grade I was able to develop more and speak more confidently with the audience.”

In this case, reading was not only a school activity. It also became a way to develop confidence and communication.

Stories that spark curiosity

For many children, the reading sessions are unlike any other class. It is not simply about reading a text — the mediators transform stories into living experiences.

Ailton, who took part in the activities between the second and fourth grades at Átila Ferreira Vaz School, remembers how much the sessions captured students’ attention.

“They brought books, made presentations with puppets, called each class and went from room to room doing presentations.”

At the time, he struggled with reading and was very shy.

“I was a very shy person… The reading mediation helped me loosen up a little in reading, because I had quite a lot of difficulty.”

For him, the way the mediators presented the books was essential in awakening interest.

“They encouraged us to read, to appreciate books, which is something quite difficult nowadays.”

Discovering imagination

Another important impact of the reading mediation sessions is the stimulation of imagination. Stories, objects and puppets help children realise that the world can be seen in many different ways.

Joana, now 14, remembers the activities with enthusiasm.

“It was a really great experience… I was completely amazed.”

She explains that the activities helped her see everyday things differently.

“They used lots of activities with puppets and objects… and I started to see objects in a different way.”

This contact with imagination not only encourages reading but also develops creativity and curiosity — essential skills for learning.

A habit that lasts a lifetime

For some children, the experience with the programme does not end when the activities finish. It continues to influence their choices and habits many years later.

Evellyn, now 20, clearly remembers the reading sessions she received in the early years of school.

“I remember that it awakened a huge desire in me to continue reading.”

Her interest in books grew so much that she began asking for more books at home.

“I asked my mother for some book kits… and that created a great desire in me to keep reading. Even today it remains a hobby of mine.”

Experiences like this show how encouraging reading in childhood can create habits that last throughout life.

When those who received become the ones who teach

Evellyn’s story shows another powerful effect of the programme: it inspires new generations to continue the cycle of reading.

Years after participating as a student, she returned to the programme — this time as a reading mediator.

“In 2023 I had the opportunity to become one of the reading mediators as well. It was my first job.”

For her, returning to the classroom in this role was deeply meaningful.

“Nothing was more rewarding than the children’s smiles… their joy was contagious when we arrived in the classroom.”

Today, Evellyn continues working within the organisation, helping ensure that other children have the same opportunity she once had.

Much more than literacy

The testimonies show that the Reading in Schools programme goes far beyond teaching children how to read. It creates positive experiences with books, develops imagination, strengthens confidence and stimulates a love of learning.

For many children, the moment when someone walks into the classroom holding a book and begins telling a story may seem like just a fun activity.

But, as these stories show, sometimes that moment is exactly where a transformation begins — one that can accompany a child throughout their entire life.

*The names of the children have been changed in order to protect their privacy