International Education Week: Advocating for Social & Economic Inclusion in Brazil
While back at his hometown of Florianópolis, Brazil during the pandemic, graduate student Eduardo de Veiga Beltrame was struck by the shared set of challenges between Brazil and the United States. The year 2020 drew his attention towards educational inequalities, marginalized communities, violence, wildfires, and volatile political climates. He recognized his very fortunate position juxtaposed to the economic struggle and anxiety others around him were experiencing. What could he do about it? How could he leverage his position as a graduate student in the United States to help improve conditions in Brazil? He found an avenue for doing that through the Vilson Groh Institute, a non-profit organization from his hometown built on decades of work in marginalized communities providing cultural, educational, and community projects, and providing basic support to people in need. In this session, Eduardo will share his path in advocacy and his hope for the future. He will be joined by Tainara Lemos das Neves, the educational program director of the Vilson Groh Institute. Together, they will share a vision for tangible solutions to the thorniest problems of Brazilian society through civic and technological education, social and economic inclusion, and a shared set of values. If interested in a preview, Eduardo also recently published an article about his experiences.