Learning outdoors for children of the favelas

As health measures from the pandemic evolve, we have been slowly recieving a few volunteers to plant trees in one of our reforestation areas. We have been particularly careful to invite family members, especially if they have children, so they can have an opportunity to be outdoors, learn about their environment, and get their hands in the ground. 

We teach them about soil health with a little experiment comparing different samples, and explain the interdependence between the soil, the plants, and the animals, and how that keeps the sky clean and healthy too!

Both in the neighboring areas of SINAL, as well as in Rio, most families live in apartment complexes and other types of infrastructure without gardens for the families to safely spend some time outside. We have been very happy to provide a safe space for families to get back in touch with the environment!

Last report, we told you the story of the American School of Rio de Janeiro's project to teach children online about sustainability based on the day-to-day life at Sinal do Vale. The project was such a success, that Sinal do Vale has been working on the creation of its own online platform -this time in portuguese- to support teachers of the third grade in public schools of the area. 

With 7 knowledge stations with a video clip, a quiz and activities, the platform is designed for children to explore SINAL online, and carry out experiments at home with materials they can easily find. The launch will roll out the next school year, beginning in March 2021. For now, almost 500 schools in the Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Petrópolis areas are included in the launch plan!

You can see the platform here 

A big thank you to all our donors who have supported us particularly during this hard time - your generous donations have helped us adapt and offer relevant solutions to keep up our work as environmental educators!