EduMais is a Brazilian NGO that provides quality education to underprivileged children and teenagers living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Focused on enriching the social, emotional, academic, and physical education of children, their nine free original educational programs use "Positive Discipline" methodology to guide students’ development. EduMais partners and collaborates with multiple organizations, schools, initiatives, and corporations which support the educational programs with consulting, in-kind donations, pro-bono services, access to resources, classes and internship opportunities. To run their initiatives, EduMais relies on crowdfunding, local donations, and volunteer teams to provide tutoring and administrative support. In addition, EduMais volunteers across the world have set up over 20 independent fundraisers. A partnership with local International Baccalaureate schools helps students fundraise for EduMais and participate in cultural exchanges with students from favelas. Moreover, EduMais’s sustainable structure employs students who have gone through its programs, thus giving them the possibility both to build their skills and contribute to community cohesion.

COVID-19 Response

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, EduMais coordinated an emergency fund to provide food and essential supply baskets items to families in need. In 2021, EduMais ran a crowdfunding campaign to purchase SIM cards in order for students to attend online classes. The campaign’s funding was supplemented by a local telecom company as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Theory of Change

Increasing access to education and extra-curricular activities helps expand young students’ capabilities in order to break the poverty cycle and thus promote community-level change.

Activities

EduMais uses a "Positive Discipline" methodology to support young children and teenagers in unstable and unsafe communities and empower them through skills-building activities. EduMais offers English, web design, and entrepreneurship lessons to students in the community and runs summer camps. For the high-risk after-school hours in the Pavão-Pavãozinho and Cantagalo favelas, they offer supervised programs to develop students’ academic and personal skills. EduMais uses play-based learning to teach life lessons. In partnership with Solar Meninos de Luz, they provide childcare for young mothers while they attend skills training classes to further their economic abilities. In addition, their Enter the Labour Market course helps prepare students for the workforce.

Results

Each year, EduMais offers educational support and skills building programs for around 400 students. EduMais’s COVID-19 Relief Fund for Favelas has been able to provide vital support to over 600 of the poorest families in Rio, every month, and raised over $50,000 USD. They recently launched their "4G So I Can Study" program to provide 400 students with 6 months of 4G online access.