The Partnership to Value Education (PVE) goes on in Muriaé and São Sebastião da Vargem Alegre

The Partnership to Value Education (PVE) program followed one more year activities in the “Zona da Mata”. In Muriaé and São Sebastião da Vargem Alegre, this initiative brings together primary school (first cycle) teachers and education managers, coordinators, and supervisors in the region, and also promotes social mobilization activities in the communities. This program is a partnership between Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA), the Votorantim Institute, and the City Departments of Education. The first meetings to create the PVE in each of these cities took place at the City Departments of Education and involved the directors and educators in local city schools and consultants from the Municipal Workshop and Center for Studies and Research in Education, Culture, and Community Action (Cenpec). This cycle defined groups of mobilizers to support local actions, focusing on improving high-quality education supply and demand in the region, and qualify local government leaders and managers. These meetings listed the 2022 priorities for the cities, such as developing management competences to qualify schoolwork, and monitor student learning. The PVE will monitor the groups during the four cycles (quarters) of 2022 with virtual and face-to-face meetings with each one. The expectation is to execute action plans, record the activities proposed, disclose the results, and share them with other cities and towns for mutual help and support. The main goal is to turn around the learning difficulties experienced during remote education, seeking to end the school year with positive development indicators.   According to João Breno, the Education Secretary in Sebastião da Vargem Alegre, meetings during the first cycle were fruitful and resulted in great expectations for PVE activities in the city in 2022. “I am very happy to be involved in another program cycle. We have the best expectations. The meetings were very valuable, and our employees participated and approved of them. I believe that, for the city, this is a moment of innovation, introducing a plan to value education that will promote the good projects and the development of local public education. We would like to thank CBA for their continuous support of our city network”, he added.   Christian Fonseca Andrade, manager of CBA’s mining units in the “Zona da Mata” stressed the close partnership between PVE and public education in the region over the years. “This is important community work, which has been underway in the region for several years. The PVE has been active in Muriaé and São Sebastião da Vargem Alegre since 2018. Between 2009 and 2012 the PVE was also active in Miraí. This program is a great tool to increasingly improve the quality of education management and thus student learning. Once again we reiterate our commitment to initiatives that benefit and qualify government services in the areas where we are present, contributing to school management, students, and local communities”, he added.   About the PVE A joint effort of CBA, the Votorantim Institute, and the city governments, the goal of the PVE is to help improve public education by training and mobilizing communities on behalf of quality education. The PVE turns 14 this year, and mobilizes pedagogical agents and communities around Brazil. In 2018 it reached over 100 cities and towns. Throughout its history it has qualified thousands of educators.