For public schools where students are eager to be and learn
CONTEXT
THERE ARE MORE THAN 26M CHILDREN
in public elementary
and secondary schools in Brazil
MORE THAN HALF of them do not
achieve the expected learning outcomes
The most marginalized, low-income, Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and disabled children are disproportionately affected by the learning crisis, exacerbating inequalities in one of the most unequal countries in the world.
DATA REVEAL A SHARP DECLINE IN LEARNING OUTCOMES DURING THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEARS (AGES 11 TO 14),
when students enter the period of socio-emotional development but feel unsupported and unmotivated by traditional teaching methods.
A 2022 UNICEF study found that ninth-grade students reported that:
did not follow their teachers’ explanations or activities
found school
uninteresting
uninteresting
did not feel
welcome at school
welcome at school
OUR WORK
We were established in 2021 as a program of the Tech and Play call, sponsored by The LEGO Foundation, with support from Fundação Lemann and the MIT Media Lab. Today, Escolas Criativas is a nonprofit civil society organization dedicated to strengthening public school systems by training and engaging educators, and developing a new approach to teaching and learning that is more playful and meaningful.
We believe that learning must promote student agency and a sense of belonging, allowing students to develop holistically and remain connected to the context of a constantly changing society.
Our work is based on the Creative Learning approach, rooted in research from the MIT Lifelong Kindergarten Group, which highlights the importance of the 4Ps (projects, passion, peers, and play) in various learning environments worldwide. We collaborate with governments, school leaders, and teachers to develop solutions tailored to the Brazilian context, using the approach’s principles as a key resource.
OUR WORK FOCUSES ON THREE MAIN LEVERS FOR SYSTEMIC TRANSFORMATION:
01. Collaborate and share
best practices with local governments to institution alize public policies that promote Creative Learning.
02. Equip school leaders
and teachers with the knowledge, skills, and resources to integrate student-centered, playful learning activities into the curriculum.
03. Engage and recognize
school leaders, teachers, and local community members to generate multiplication, support, and active involvement in Creative Learning initiatives.
OUR IMPACT
We are present in 27 educational networks. In just three years, our initiatives have already reached thousands of educators and students throughout Brazil:
58,637
teachers
2,505
schools
1,007,435
students
96% OF TEACHERS AT PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS ADOPTED CREATIVE LEARNING APPROACHES
in their classrooms, and according to an independent 2024 study, the program had a significant impact on student engagement and learning outcomes.
GOALS
In the coming years, we intend to deepen our impact in the communities we already serve, while expanding our programs throughout Brazil.
BY 2028,
we intend to reach:
2MILLION
students
80,000
teachers
