The Brazilian school that became a centre of peace and non-violence
Escola Estadual Parque dos Sonhos, a public primary school in Cubatão, São Paulo, Brazil, is changing realities for marginalised students as a centre of peace in an area beset with violence. Its work is based on a pedagogical model that is intentionally student-centred and provides a safe space where learners can take ownership of their learning journey. Serving a low-income housing complex in the municipality of Cubatão, a highly vulnerable area characterised by violence and vandalism, students historically abandoned their studies due to crime, challenges with basic infrastructure, and lack of engagement from teachers and the broader community. To combat this, the school changed its pedagogical approach to insert humanist principles and non-violence as a methodology of action, and extracurricular activities to catalyse connection.
The only school in São Paulo to offer this kind of pedagogical model, EE Parque dos Sonhos promotes inclusive learning that ensures access to quality education combined with a culture of peace to drive social transformation. Students can participate in sports events recognised across the region, cultural projects like theatre and dance, and social and non-violence initiatives that impact the broader community. One essential project, The School Goes to Your Home, involves the teachers visiting students' homes to share the school’s vision and plans with their families to bridge the gap between school and community.
Since implementing the learning model, the student enrolment rate has increased by 500%. The school has not experienced one incident of vandalism, whether from students or the community outside the school, since 2021. It runs extracurricular such as figure skating, with participation increasing from only nine students in 2017 to 80 students currently, with one winning a scholarship to study in the USA. Currently, there are 21 student-led projects underway with the objective of valuing human beings and strengthening learning, with a firm focus on social transformation.
More than 20 schools in the region have adopted initiatives developed by EE Parque dos Sonhos, proving that a learning methodology with non-violence at its core truly can change lives.
