The Renova Foundation, in cooperation with the municipality, brought environment oriented information and activities to the school community
On October 5th and 6th, 2016, students, parents, teachers and other employees of the Paracatu de Baixo Municipal School participated in a range of activities promoted by the Renova Foundation aiming to create a platform to discuss environmental themes, in accordance with the context of the community’s situation.
On the 5th, in cooperation with Civil Defense of Mariana, 1st through 9th grade students attended the presentation named “Environmental Emergencies: Risks of the Rainy Season” and received tips about how to prevent the main problems caused by the rain. On this same day, a manual rain gauge was installed at the school which will be used as an educational resource. The meteorological instrument is used to measure the quantity of precipitate liquids and solids.
On the 6th, by means of round-table talks, design workshops, painting and other activities, discussions took place about the importance of school appreciation and a healthy and respectful interaction in the learning environment. As a result and based on the theme a scale model, a book made out of fabric and a video were produced.
Workshop on school appreciation with 6th through 9th grade students of the Paracatu de Baixo Municipal School. | Photo: Igor Oliveira
Afterwards an informal conversation was held with the teachers and other employees, who are also members of the community, about the actions that were carried out and the ones that are scheduled for the reconstruction of Paracatu de Baixo. The activity was an opportunity to understand the wishes and the expectations of the educators in relation to the conduct of the resettlement process.
“The language of the presentations was accessible enough and awoke the interest of all, especially the students, who felt they could participate in the discussions and activities. The event was well-received and I believe it will have an impact on the student’s day-to-day live”, says the interim director of the Paracatu de Baixo Municipal School, Márcia Regina de Souza Maia.
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The actions of the Environment Education Program (PEA) started on August 2016 in the communities affected by the collapse of the Fundão dam. Its objective is to share knowledge about environmental questions. Although it has one single scope, for being a participatory program the PEA will have different activities for each region within the range.
So far, activities have taken place with the youth group of Bento Rodrigues and also at the schools in Paracatu de Baixo, Barra Longa and Gesteira. By December, the program shall be taken to other locations, involving other groups and affected schools.
The themes and methodology worked on in the school community were shared and discussed with Public Authorities, by means of the municipal Boards of Education, responsible for validating the activity proposals.