Closure activities of the Cooperative Student Project’s second year.

Last December 20th the closure activities in 2009 of the Cooperative Student Project occurred in the DNOCS (Departamento Nacional de Obras Contra as Secas – National Bureau of Works Against Drought) research center auditorium, Pentecoste. The results of the didactic projects results achieved by each subject of the project were shown in the ceremony. Geography, Mathematics, Portuguese and English were the subjects which stood out. Their didactic project presentations were the most dynamic; whereas the other subjects presented their report by facilitators and students speeches. Besides the presentations, the moment was used for the realization of a festivity; students had the chance to develop some fun activities, such as dancing and taking pictures. 100 students, 10 public school teachers (who were engaged to the project since its early beginning) and 12 facilitators (the most common term for ‘teacher’ used at PRECE) made part in the development of the project in 2009.

The Cooperative Student Project is part of PRECE. It was developed in a partnership with some institutions, such as BrazilFoundation and HSBC Solidarity. Its actions benefit public school teachers from Pentecoste so that they can develop training educational activities such as courses, workshops and speeches; all that happens under the scope of cooperative actions. The project provides the teachers with those activities in order to enhance the quality of public schools in Pentecoste.

The focus of the project is also the student and his/her intellectual autonomy. That can be reached by the Cooperative Learning methodology based upon study groups (cells, as they are called in PRECE) and on Project Pedagogy. That stimulates students to act as young protagonists in the classroom, in the whole school and, most importantly, in their communities.

The directly benefited students come from the 6th to the 9th grades in the Elementary School. The project’s main goal is to work in partnership with Public school so that it can become a place that stimulates participation, dialogue and solidarity among all its constituents in the teaching-learning process.

Ana Maria Teixeira Andrade is the coordinator of the project. She studied Languages (Linguistics/Literature) and she is currently undertaking her Masters Degree Course on Literature at UFC (Federal University of Ceará). Most facilitators of the project are undergrads at UFC: Vilamar Moreira, Fellipe dos Santos, Francisco das Chagas (Bill), Hérmeson Silva, Maria da Conceição Mota (Daniele), Maria de Fátima Lopes, Jacilane Bezerra da Silva, Luíza Ravena Araújo Pontes, Ana Cláudia Rodrigues Ferreira, Myllana de Sousa, Philipe Quintiliano, Rejane da Silva, Shirlene Castro, Sonia Maria Holanda and Fábio Júnior. The only facilitator Who has already finished college is Jorge Araújo.

Version by Marcelo Moreira