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Public Administration Strengthening
We recognize the importance of public bodies in the society and know how important it is to foster cross-sector dialogue. Therefore, the Lina Galvani Institute acts as a link between government, civil society and organizations specialized in empowering these players. Our goal? To increase public participation in municipal decisions, to qualify social control and to strengthen our institutions. This will enable us to develop more democratic and effective public policies in a task force where everyone is heard. The result: improving the quality of life of the population.
In 2016, our Public Management Strengthening project, in partnership with Agenda Pública, took important steps towards its consolidation in Campo Alegre de Lourdes (BA), with the conduction of the second round of initiatives. We also opened a new front in Serra do Salitre (MG), with the essential steps for its implementation in the town.
In early 2016, a municipal decree announced the creation of the Project Office in Campo Alegre de Lourdes. It was a great accomplishment, because it recognizes the training of civil servants that has already been done and confirmed the town's commitment to the initiative.
Citizens' training was also of great importance in 2016. The “Know Your Rights Workshop”, held in July, in the village of Angico dos Dias, provided the community with information on public management and raised awareness about the relevance of social control and active participation in policies for the population.
We try to encourage a sense of community, allowing the exchange of experiences and knowledge. In these three days we spent together at the workshop, we were able to share and align dreams and find the tools to put them into practice.
Throughout the second round of the project, Agenda Pública continued with the diagnoses alongside public managers and the leaders from associations, cooperatives and councils in Campo Alegre de Lourdes. In 2016, the servers were attended workshops on best managerial practices and effective project creation.
In the municipality of Serra do Salitre, the Public Management Strengthening presented the diagnosis prepared by the Agenda Pública focusing on some basic areas: health, education and social work. The meeting gathered representatives of the town hall, the Institute and Galvani, in a debate on the indicators found in the municipality.
Another highlight was the Democratic Dialogues, held in September. Open to the public, this event allowed the candidates to the town council to present their government plans to the population and answer the questions of about 200 participants. It was a unique and very rich opportunity for a direct conversation between politicians and residents in the important pre-election period.
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Learning Community
We consider education one of the drivers of change in any society. It is not by chance that another basis of our work in the territories is in promoting improvements in public education, especially in the early years of municipal and state schools. In close relation with our Public Management axis, this area includes partnerships with organizations specialized in this context.
In Serra do Salitre (MG), we have joined forces with Instituto Natura and the Municipal Department of Education in the support and development of the Learning Community in nine public schools. This project aims to create a collaborative network to fulfill initiatives that positively impact on the improvement of teaching and learning.
After initial training for parents, teachers, students, school administrators and public bodies, 2016 was a year for us to strengthen capacities, implement initiatives and seek partnerships.
Early in the year, our local agent, Cristina Cardoso, and a teacher from Serra do Salitre took a course in São Paulo with theoretical and practical lessons for them to act as multipliers of this content among other education professionals. Locally, teachers also underwent training on the methodology and objectives of the Learning Community, in addition to learning inspiring ideas that can be replicated in Serra do Salitre.
I think the course was excellent. It clarified the proposal to bring the society into the school. This is very important because we know that family and society should be part of the school learning process. Without them, students will not perform well.
In the Lúcio Bittencourt and Raul de Melo municipal schools, we supported the creation of vegetable gardens, built with the participation of the students. Together with the Lina Galvani Institute, the Municipality of Serra do Salitre, the Union of Rural Workers and companies like Cooxupé, Emater, Montesa, ETM, among others, were involved in this project.
In 2016, the Learning Community involved 848 students, 705 families, 95 education professionals, 16 volunteers, and 40 participants from a joint committee. Far beyond the numbers, the results can also be measured by teachers' and parents' testimonials:
Children were very happy when they found out their parents had taken some time to come to the school and take part in an activity. I believe that family and school have to walk hand in hands, because education works better when we speak the same language and seek a common goal.
I attended a meeting with the students and we all worked together. I think this is important not only for now, but also for the future, because in the future she will remember that I was there in this stage of her life.
A QUESTION FOR...
Fernanda Pinho, coordinator of the Learning Community
What are the distinctive features of the Learning Community?
The project focuses on expanding and improving interaction spaces inside the school and encouraging community participation. This is a different type of participation from that we are used to, in which the school informs or consults the families. In our case, the decisions are up to the institution. The Learning Community invites the school to open up other spaces for participation, so that the community can be part of the students' learning, make joint decisions and decide - for example - that something needs renovation or that some textbooks should be changed. The stakeholders also engage in the evaluation of the quality of the education.
It promotes greater dialogue between the different players in the school, in addition to more room for participation and interaction. This significantly improves both the students' learning and their behavior in the school environment. The school becomes a place that belongs and makes sense to everyone. It is a place where students can be heard and family members can express their opinions. In short, it is mainly about humanizing their relationship within the school.
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Student Clubs
Our work in the schools of Luís Eduardo Magalhães (BA) is deeply rooted in environmental education, due to the projects developed by the Fioravante Galvani Park. In 2016, we created a new front, with the “Student Group - Building Dialogue and Representation” workshop. With the participation of 16 people, among students and staff of the Ceser Pelissari School, the course aimed to present, guide and contribute to the development and implementation of student clubs. The workshop also addressed the meaning of this type of club for students, teachers, managers, civil society and representatives of local companies.
Public Management
To improve public administration and education