The second edition of the Transformative Educator Award, jointly organized by the Significare Institute, Bett Brasil, and Sebrae to recognize Transformative Education projects developed by teachers from across the country, announced the winners of the national round on Wednesday (24).

“The 2024 Transformative Educator Award highlights the importance of recognizing educators as agents of innovation in education. As a result, we have not only the winners in the seven categories, but above all, the formation of a collaborative network of educators with the potential to bring about change and transformation,” said Adriana Martinelli, content director at Bett Brasil. 

Of the 35 finalists, who came from all regions of Brazil and attended the event, seven were selected as winners. Check out the winning projects in each category:

Category: Early Childhood Education

The winner was Professor Flaviana Bárbara de Souza Machado, from Silvânia (GO), with the project “My Body Is a Treasure!”, which aims to work with children in a playful way on the sensitive topic of preventing childhood sexual abuse, as well as to highlight the importance of taking care of one’s own body. 

Second and third place in the category went, respectively, to teachers Luciana Lisboa, from Pomerode (SC), with the project “Das Schmetterlinghaus: Science in Early Childhood Education”; and Joana Marques de Lima Saar Xavier, from Rio Branco (AC), with the project “Anti-Racist Pedagogical Practices and Early Childhood Education: Paths to the (Re)construction of Identities in Very Young Children.”

Category: Elementary School - Early Grades

Professor Luana Alves, from Teresópolis (RJ), won with the project “Empreendedores da Terra,” which fosters entrepreneurship and a sense of belonging in the community through the stories of local rural entrepreneurs, who are invited to share their life stories with students.

Second place in the category went to Prof. Alessandra da Silva Macedo, from Portão (RS), for her project “Little Programmers.” Third place went to Prof. Wanessa Ranielle Rodrigues Trajano Costa, from Aparecida de Goiânia (GO), for her project “Meliponiculture in Schools: Protecting Pollinators and the Environment.”

Category: Elementary School - Upper Grades

The winner was Prof. Francisco Celso Leitão Freitas, from Brasília (DF), with the project “RAP (Resocialization, Autonomy, and Empowerment).” The program utilized various cultural and artistic expressions, particularly music (with an emphasis on rap, due to its strong reflective and social appeal), to offer new perspectives on resocialization for adolescents serving socio-educational sentences involving restrictions on their freedom at a facility dedicated to this purpose in the Federal District.

Second place in the category went to Prof. Felipe Salvador Weissheimer, from Florianópolis (SC), for his project “Spider Robot: From Brain Waves (EEG) to Emotional Intelligence”; and in third place was Prof. Jurandi Souza Xerente, from Tocantínia (TO), with the project “Ethnomathematics: kuiwdê nitro ‘the great log of the log race.’”

Category: High School

Professor Daniele Andressa Bassanesi, from Naviraí (MS), won the category with the project “Tony Bank: A Financial Literacy Tool Combined with the Development of Social-Emotional Skills and Values.” The initiative involved combining financial literacy concepts with the development of social-emotional skills, such as autonomy, responsibility, and organization, among others. To this end, a “bank”—the “Tony Bank”—was created, in which students earned points based on their punctuality, commitment to academic assignments, and other criteria. Every two months, the accumulated points were used to “purchase” items obtained from the school community.

Second and third place in the category went, respectively, to the following teachers: Clóves Vicente Lins, from Marataízes (ES), for the project “Uncovering the Restinga Through Project-Based Learning”; and Cláudia Becker da Cunha, from Leoberto Leal (SC), for the project “Movement Is Health.”

Category: Vocational Education

Professor Leila Cristina Nunes Ribeiro, from Macapá (AP), won the category with her project “Mulheres de Fibra.” The initiative combined a commitment to science with the creation of new career opportunities for students in the Technical Construction Program at the Federal Institute of Amapá by promoting the reuse of fibers that would otherwise be improperly discarded in the environment to create ceramic materials, which are then reused in various construction processes.

Second and third place in the category went, respectively, to the following teachers: Alana Eltz dos Reis, from São Caetano do Sul (SP), for the project “Inclusive SENAI: Developing a Model for the Inclusion of Blind Students in Information Technology”; and Getúlio Jorge Stefanello Júnior, from Frederico Westphalen (RS), with the project “Technical and Economic Characterization of Rural Properties.”

Category: Youth and Adult Education - EJA

Prof. João Luiz Pereira da Costa Ferreira, from Feira de Santana (BA), won with the project “Pretitude em Foco.” Through a photo essay produced and starring the students themselves—featuring jewelry and precious stones alluding to those stolen from the African continent during European colonization—the project aimed to celebrate Black people (the majority of students at the school where the initiative was implemented identify as Black or mixed-race) and promote their empowerment.

Second place in the category went to Prof. Núbia da Costa Pantoja, from Manaus (AM), for her project “Entrepreneurship in Adult and Youth Education: Production of Body Lotion as a Source of Income.” Third place went to Prof. Wagner Severgnini, from Caçador (SC), for his project “Lar sem Frestas.”

Category: Higher Education

The winner was Prof. Fabricio Pelloso Piurcosky, from Campo Mourão (PR), with the project “Integrow—Integrated Innovation Ecosystem.” The initiative arose from concerns expressed by students at the higher education institution itself, who wanted an education that went beyond the “basics” required for professional practice, incorporating, for example, fundamental skills such as innovation and entrepreneurship. The project established partnerships with startups and other institutions, highlighting the importance of networks for student development through the so-called “Entrepreneurial Track.”

Second place in the category went to Prof. Quezia da Silva Rosa, from Ariquemes (RO), for her project “Low-Cost Solutions for Maintaining Livestock Production During Drought”; and third place went to Prof. Luciana de Lima, from Fortaleza (CE), for her project “Tecnodocência.” 

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