Aiming to involve the entire school community in caring for the planet, Adventist Education is promoting different projects with school communities. In Cariacica, Espírito Santo, for example, the “Environment: Educating to Preserve” program has been sensitizing students to building attitudes that are in tune with sustainable development. 

Among the actions of the proposal, the manufacture of soap with cooking oil involved families who gathered the material used, then gave the base raw material for students to participate in the manufacturing process. “The goal is to make students experience what they learn in the classroom, having the opportunity to change the reality of others, preserving the environment”, emphasizes Kellen Castro, a teacher and one of the manufacturing coordinators.

In addition to the collection of oil, which was promoted with the participation of the families of elementary school students, production was fragmented into three stages: the production itself in a school laboratory, with guidance from science teachers; product packaging; and finally, the delivery of the soap, which is being distributed to needy families in the region who also receive a basic food basket.

The project was featured on TV Gazeta, affiliated with Rede Globo in the state.

Community Impact

This project had a significant impact on Dona Nalva, a nice little lady who set up a makeshift shack in which to live using scraps of furniture, wood, canvas, and cardboard she found discarded around the city. With the visit and donation from the students, she showed gratitude and surprise. "I didn't even expect it!" she exclaimed with a smile on his face.

In other words, in addition to recycling the product that harms nature when improperly discarded, the initiative will also help promote the hygiene of those facing difficulties in purchasing such materials at this time, which are fundamental for the prevention of COVID-19.

Professor Úrsula Varjão Hatakeyama Costa emphasizes this is exactly the purpose of the project, because “in addition to helping to understand contents related to the discipline of science, it is also important in the education of citizens who are aware of their socio-environmental responsibility”.

The action also caught the attention of TV Tribuna, affiliated with SBT in the state.

For student Giullianno Pivetta Nunes, the project brought a lot of knowledge. “I was able to learn something that will be useful for my daily life. The preservation of the environment can be done through simple acts, and by anyone”, he adds. The expectation is 15 families in the Vera Cruz neighborhood will benefit. The project will continue, and the school will become a collection point for used cooking oil. 

Consciousness Seeds 

In Vila Velha, Espírito Santo, first-year students at the Ibes Adventist School were immersed in an environmental project that demonstrates in practice the importance of plants for the planet. At the unit, the children planted green onions, following the stages of development of the vegetable. 

In this way, they understood some functions of plants for environmental harmony and also in the production of food for humanity. For this reason, the children took to the streets to share the lessons learned and encourage the conservation of the flora, by distributing sunflower seeds to drivers who were stopped by traffic lights. 

For Aline Herculano, education coordinator, the action aims to develop the perception of care for the environment and the importance of natural food. “They love to participate in these activities and take the knowledge learned in the classroom to society and also to their homes, strengthening the awareness of the entire family”, he explains.

The project will continue its actions in the month of June. Among them, the planting of fruit tree seedlings by students and their families is planned in Morro do Cruzeiro, also located in the city. 

Adventist Education

Adventist Education is consolidated as the largest denominational teaching network in the country, with more than 500 schools and 225,000 students, present in all regions of Brazil. In the central-south region of Espírito Santo, there are almost 2,000 students enrolled in three units: Colégio Adventista de Cariacica, Ibes Adventist School, and Cachoeiro do Itapemirim Adventist School—offering course options ranging from kindergarten to high school.

The network bases its philosophy on principles and values ​​applied daily in student activities, encouraging the development of social and environmental projects as a constant and permanent pedagogical factor of teaching-learning methodologies.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site