Public schools are finalists in Brazil for the Best School in the World award

This Thursday (13), the results of the 2024 edition of the World's Best School Prizes were announced. Four Brazilian schools were classified as finalists and are competing for R$50,000 for each of the project categories.

Purpose of the award

The award was created by the global organization T4 Education, with help from the Lemann Foundation, American Express and Accenture. The award is important, as it recognizes initiatives in education, in a very creative way, and helps to change the lives of young people in specific regions.

In the case of Brazil, the The four finalists are the Professora Maria das Graças Escócio Cerqueira State High School, the Santa Maria Internment Unit Teaching Center, the Manaus Military College and the Deputado Pedro Costa State School. They all seek to bring improvements to their students, bringing new possibilities for the personal development of each young person involved in the project.

Finalist Brazilian schools

The Professora Maria das Graças Escócio Cerqueira State High School, in Itaituba (PA), is competing in the “Environmentalist Action” category. Founded in 2004, the school teaches students to be environmental guardians of the Amazon, that is, they learn to protect the local biodiversity and implement new reforestation actions. A great example is the Ipê Amarelo Seed Project, which collects seeds so that they can then be planted and become trees.

_{State High School Professor Maria das Graças Escócio Cerqueira (Photo: reproduction/Disclosure/T4 Education)}

The Teaching Center of the Santa Maria Inpatient Unit, located in a socio-educational inpatient unit in the Federal District, is participating in the “Overcoming Adversities” category. It competes in this category because the school was based on music to help 150 boys learn and deal with specific intellectual needs, in addition to socioeconomic problems. Titled RPA (Resocialization, Autonomy and Protagonism), the program covers rhythm and poetry, which teaches group work and respect for others. The project also addresses themes about cinema and hip hop festivals. This school is also recognized as a school that seeks to bring initiatives that help improve students' literacy rates and social interactions.

_{Teaching Center of the Santa Maria Inpatient Unit (Photo: reproduction/Disclosure/T4 Education)}

Founded in 1972, Colégio Militar de Manaus, in the capital of Amazonas, has already won the Digital Innovation Award, and this year is also among the finalist schools. The school managed to overcome geographical and logistical challenges so that education is present in the lives of military children in remote areas around the world. The project aims to stimulate critical thinking and sustainable entrepreneurship, through a distance learning program.

_{Military College of Manaus (Photo: reproduction/Disclosure/T4 Education)}

The Deputado Pedro Costa State School, in the north of São Paulo, is participating in the “Community Collaboration” category. This school, created more than 70 years ago, is a pioneer in implementing athletics, artistic gymnastics and chess programs, said T4. The initiative focuses on developing and promoting academic excellence, helping with the personal development and integration of young students. The school offers projects where family members can also participate in workshops and events.

_{Deputado Pedro Costa State School, in the north of São Paulo (Photo: reproduction/Disclosure/T4 Education)}

In total, 10 finalists were announced in each of the categories. In September, another qualifier will take place, where only 3 schools per group will compete. Educators, representatives from the government, civil society, the private sector, social entrepreneurs and NGOs decided that the final result of the award will be announced in November this year.

Featured Photo: young people in a classroom (Reproduction/skynesher/GettyImages Embed)