Adult Education in Brazil

  Brazil

• Rio de Janeiro: 
Rio de Janeiro
• Salvador: 
Salvador
• Northern Brazil: 
Joao Pessoa,  Recife

Term: Summer 
Dates: Inquire for dates

Description: Program Objectives: To understand experiences of popular adult education and social movements in Northeastern Brazil.

* Understand changes due to educational decentralization and municipalization of education through the educational reform process taking place in Brazil at this moment and how this affect schools and communities.
* Visit Paulo Freire's working ground and his experiences in the state of Pernambuco and Paraiba that led to the development of his ideas and to writings of his books Education for Critical Consciousness and Pedagogy of the Oppressed and others.
* Discussion of his works with the people who participated in the initial literacy programs in the area of Recife, the University of Pernambuco and the development of programs with Paulo Freire.
* To introduce students to the richness of the Afro-Brazilian, European and Native culture and how it permeated the whole society, especially in the Northeast.

Highlights: During the three-week program, attention will be given to the following topics:
* Overview of popular adult education programs in Northeast Brazil.
* Influence of social movements in education.
* The impact of economic neo-liberal policy in society with an emphasis on education.
* Issues of educational decentralization, school municipalization in the educational system of Brazil.
* Influences of Afro-Brazilian, European and Indigenous culture in history, education and music in the Northeast.
* The development of Paulo Freires work from its inception.
* A closer view to the context of the Brazilian Northeast and how the context informed Freire of his ideas and practice.
* Visit and observe graduate study and training of educators and adult educators in particular.

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS: Scheduled activities will include visits to the following cultural and historical sites:

* Visits to João Pessoa and surrounding areas. Appreciate the influences of Portuguese colonizers, sugar plantations, processing of sugar cane.
* Visits to colonial buildings, museums, churches in João Pessoa, Recife and Olinda.
* Visit to the house of Paulo Freire in Recife, and the barrio that was part of his first literacy program. The museum of famous artist Francisco Brenand and to the old Dutch colonizers landing and settlement.
* Visit to Salvador (Bahia) and experience fully the strong influences of Africa in Brazil, from its music, food, dances, colonial residential areas (Pelourinho) to modern day Afro-Brazilian culture.
* Visit Rio de Janeiro, which includes a tour of its main attractions (Corcovado, Sugar Loaf and its famous beaches.)

Degree Level: Masters Degree

Cost in US$: USD 5,550 double occupancy

Experience Required: no

Participants Travel to Brazil Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 15

Application Process Involves:

• Transcript
• Written Application

Year Founded: 1969