ESG education project created in public schools in Manaus becomes a scientific reference and can expand the model in Brazil and Europe

In total, 19 pedagogical visits were carried out and 653 EduCotas were recorded, a term created to account for student participation in activities carried out with partner companies. For Marcelo Brito da Silva, the main result of the project was to expand students' vision of new possibilities for the future. "They entered the companies not as visitors, but as young people who asked, observed and interpreted. Many began to see in that environment a possibility for the future." From school to scientific research The experience developed in schools began to be studied after the results achieved with students. The first article about the project was published in the Electronic Journal of Sustainability Sciences (RECSA), of the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), and a second study was accepted for publication by Springer. For Marcelo Brito da Silva, the recognition shows that an initiative created within a public school can generate knowledge and inspire new ways of teaching sustainability. "What started as a teacher's project, within a public school in Manaus, became published science and is being studied as a model. This shows that a local experience can inspire other initiatives." In addition to the publications, the methodology was presented at the VIII International Congress on Environmental Education of Portuguese-Speaking Countries and Communities, held in Manaus in 2025. Students developed sustainable solutions The activities carried out during the visits gave rise to projects created by the students themselves. Among the works presented by the schools were a newscast production on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the creation of educational equipment to explain the production of green hydrogen and the manufacture of biojewelry with reused materials and elements from the Amazon. The project also promoted entrepreneurship workshops, ideathons and hackathons, activities that encouraged students to create solutions to environmental and social challenges. Companies opened spaces for learning The project included the participation of eight partner companies and institutions: Visteon Amazonas, Fundação Rede Amazônica, Flex, Tutiplast, Cigás do Amazonas, Eucatur Urbano, Águas de Manaus and Breitener Energética. During the visits, the students visited different professional environments, such as factories, laboratories, water treatment plants, urban transport systems, energy generation units and the behind-the-scenes of journalistic production. At Fundação Rede Amazônica, students participated in three educational visits, two of them during Environment Week 2024. In addition to learning about the routine of producing journalistic content, they participated in an activity led by writer Ronaldo Barcelos, author of the book Guerreiros da Amazônia, which presented sustainability through literature and the appreciation of the Amazon region. "When we open our spaces to students, we are creating opportunities for them to discover new possibilities, understand how different areas work and realize that they can also contribute to building solutions for the Amazon", highlighted the executive director of the Fundação Rede Amazônica, Mariane Cavalcante. Project enters a new phase After the results achieved in schools and scientific recognition, the ESG School Project enters a new stage. The proposal now is to expand the application of the methodology to other educational institutions in Brazil and Europe. In Portugal, Marcelo Brito da Silva developed research to analyze the experience carried out in Manaus and study how the initiative can be adapted to different educational realities. With the studies published and the presentation at an international congress, the project continues to expand and seeks to take the experience created in public schools in Manaus to other learning spaces.