“By offering continuing education, the program helps teachers play a better role in the classroom. But this preparation also extends to other sectors, such as directors and the city's Department of Education technicians”, explains Fernando (photo).
In 2015, the reality of the Cecília Maria Vaz Municipal School was very difficult. “We suffered from many deficiencies. Our Ideb index was very low, around 1.9, and the dropout rate was around 30%”, recalls João Lucas Pinheiro da Silva, who at the time was a unit manager. The teacher, who is currently a technician of the Igarassu Education Department, attributes to Rota do Saber the good results present today. “With the training, we’ve learned how to make more assertive educational decisions that include parents as co-educators. In 2017, the school's Ideb jumped to 4.6 and this year, when there will be new evaluations, we are projecting our growth to be 5.6. The dropout rate has dropped to zero and we have a waiting list for those interested in joining this school”, celebrates João Lucas.
Multiple voices
Launched in August of this year, the program Vozes Daqui works strongly to establish a relationship between schools and the surrounding community. “Vozes Daqui proposes activities that improve the school’s environment and the relationship of the population with this space. In this way, students, teachers and the community reinforce their bond with the school and start caring for, protecting and defending a very important space for community development”, explains Fernando Elias.
By turning schools into centers for ludic activities open to the population, the program focuses on enhancing these spaces. Through communication workshops, students work on the production of content that values the history and the culture of the localities.
Environmental education and technological development
Completing the range of projects that consolidate FCA's presence in the education ecosystem is the Environmental Education Program - which includes booklet production and a visit to the Jeep Automotive Plant - and the recently announced e.DO Learning Center, in partnership with Comau, foresees the creation of a laboratory to teach robotics to students from the SESI-PE Elementary II and High School as well as public schools in the city.
The first classes are scheduled to start in November with the presence of the educational robot e.DO, comprised of six articulated axes that interact with each other. Each motorized unit can be programmed for the robot to handle objects in order to perform a task, when needed by the operator. Jonas Brito Feliciano is a professor of Exact Sciences and Robotics at SESI-PE and participated in the four-day teacher training program. “It was a moment of much learning and updating of knowledge”, he says. For the youngsters, Jonas believes it will be important to know the application of robotics. "It's a way for students to understand the potential of this technology and prepare for the job market”, he adds.
The decision to invest in initiatives to improve the quality of public education is part of FCA's social commitment to collaborate with the development of the communities in which it operates. "The prosperity of a community is closely related to the degree of education and that of its inhabitants. Therefore, it’s relevant to contribute to strengthening the quality of education in these cities", concludes Fernando Elias.
The infographic below shows how each program makes a difference in your community.
