Why We Invested
We believe education should be a liberating experience that offers humanity a path towards justice, peace and equitable social progress, one that actively fights against all forms of discrimination and oppression. We also believe that schools are a place for the daily exercise of values that allow us to move towards this vision. At the heart of Viven's work in partnership with school leaders, teachers and learners lies the ideal and practice of citizenship, compassion, empathy and democracy for a world where people and communities collectively thrive. Research also shows that social emotional learning (SEL) programming can have meaningful impact in reducing drop-out rates and improving student’s academic achievement. SEL skills are protective factors for children living in poverty, contributing to their resilience and ability for successful adaptation; and are increasingly critical for preparing learners to succeed in the labor market. While the Brazillian market has several programs and solutions that introduce SEL into the curriculum for private schools, public schools are not equipped to offer SEL. Viven’s comprehensive programs on global citizenship and leadership have components that include SEL curriculum and are designed for public schools for free or via cross-subsidy.
When violence, inequality and social injustice remain factors that prevent every single Brazilian student to have the same chances to dream big, Viven offers the opportunity for us to work together with educators for making schools a fruitful field for transforming the way youth see themselves and how they can become the leaders we need for building a more inclusive society.