The Mirante Association operates by listening to rural public schools and working together with teachers, administrators, and communities.
Our projects are born from the territory and are built collaboratively, with the goal of strengthening public education based on the reality of those who live and learn in the countryside.
We organize our work around three main fronts:
Education
from the field
We strengthen pedagogical practices connected to rural realities, valuing local knowledge and promoting a more meaningful education for students and educators.
Projects completed:
Rural Education, Transforming Lives (Alfenas – MG)
Ongoing training for teachers and administrators of rural schools in the municipality, in partnership with the Federal University of Alfenas, focusing on the development of contextualized pedagogical practices.
Next steps:
Expansion of the " Rural Education, Transforming Lives " project to new municipalities in southern Minas Gerais, broadening the reach of training and strengthening local education networks.
Pilot Project at the Orlando Paulino da Costa Municipal School
The project, "Rural Education - Transforming Lives," aims to enhance teaching practices and reaffirm what is already being done in schools. In line with Rural Education, it involves a dialogical and effective construction with people who are connected in many ways to the school community in rural areas. Several pedagogical approaches guide us, especially the pedagogy of alternation, highlighting the points below from Article 4 of Decree No. 7,352, of November 4, 2010:
VI - specific initial and ongoing teacher training that meets the operational needs of rural schools;
VII - specific training for managers and education professionals to meet the operational needs of rural schools;
VIII - production of didactic, pedagogical, technological, cultural and literary resources that meet the specific educational needs of rural populations;
Education for Ethnic-Racial Relations
Understanding the importance of Education for Ethnic-Racial Relations (ERER) and its centrality in building a more just and inclusive education, the Mirante Association incorporates this agenda as one of its fields of action, in accordance with Laws No. 10.639/03 and No. 11.645/08, and with the Law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education.
Based on this commitment, we work to support educators and schools in building pedagogical practices that value diversity, promote racial equity, and contribute to the formation of a more representative and welcoming school environment, thus contributing to the effective implementation of these guidelines in daily school life .
This approach is present across all our projects and also unfolds into specific initiatives.
Upcoming projects:
Kunda Space
Kunda Space was born from the need to create a place in the territory dedicated to valuing Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous cultures —which are still poorly represented in a structured way in the educational and cultural environment.
The proposal aims to implement an educational and cultural space that functions as a hub for training, interaction, and creation, offering activities such as theater, music, dance, and audiovisual media for children and young people. More than just workshops, the project seeks to strengthen identity, belonging, and critical awareness, contributing to the fight against structural racism through education and art.
With continuous activity throughout the year and a specialized team, Espaço Kunda aims to broaden access to culture, strengthen ties with the community, and generate lasting social impact in the region .
Abayomi doll workshop, taught by Daniela Rosa and held at the São Francisco de Assis Municipal School in the city of Cabo Verde-MG.
Learning Environments
and School Infrastructure
We believe that space also educates. That's why we support the transformation of school environments, making them more welcoming, functional, and aligned with pedagogical practices.
Projects completed:
Improvement of the structural spaces of the Orlando Paulino da Costa Municipal School, in Alfenas, based on listening to the school community and the needs identified by those who experience the day-to-day life of the school.
Upcoming projects:
The Rural Living Library Program aims to implement libraries in rural areas, linking infrastructure, teacher training, and community engagement to promote access to reading as a tool for educational, cultural, and social development. Inspired by established methodologies such as that of the Vaga Lume Institute, the program understands the library as a living space for meaning-making, community strengthening, and valuing the territory .
