Now in its second edition (the first was held in 2020), the Sebrae Entrepreneurial Education Award has established itself among educators as an opportunity to challenge students to look beyond the obvious and think creatively. Created with the goal of recognizing teachers from across Brazil who encourage entrepreneurial experiences, practices, and initiatives among students, the Sebrae Entrepreneurial Education Award is divided into five categories: Elementary School—Early Years, Elementary School—Later Years, High School, Vocational Education, and Higher Education. Projects are ranked by level—gold, silver, and bronze. In total, approximately 700 initiatives were submitted.

“We are proud to recognize the work of the teachers who signed up and submitted their projects, which represent the improvement of education in Brazil as a whole. You, teachers, have a great mission: to show how we can help students achieve and fulfill their dreams. After all, we change the community by changing people, and education is essential to changing those people,” said Jânio Macedo, manager of Sebrae’s Entrepreneurial Education unit.

“This award recognizes teachers who are entrepreneurs. Without a doubt, teachers shape a child’s future. It was a teacher who encouraged me to pursue an academic career. Who could have imagined that the son of a seamstress and a bricklayer would reach the position I have attained, had it not been for that educational encouragement? I thank you, educators,” said Wagner Villas Bôas, Secretary of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education.

Edson Sousa, 35, won the silver trophy in the high school category for his project “Recycled Paper Made from Babassu Fiber.” He teaches Portuguese at the José Malaquias Public School—Ludovico Annex—in the municipality of Lago do Junco, 320 km from São Luís (MA). “We represent the women who crack babaçu coconuts, a species native to Maranhão. There are 300,000 women who make their living cracking coconuts,” says Sousa about the project he coordinates at the school with his students, using babaçu fiber to produce recycled paper, resulting in a more durable product that dries faster. “They participated in the workshop with the coconut breakers and taught other students how to make the paper and create handmade crafts from babaçu,” the teacher commented.

Awards Ceremony

All state and national winners received personalized trophies, and their best practices will be featured nationwide. In addition, they will receive:

State Winners

Full scholarship for the Sebrae College Online MBA in Entrepreneurial Education 5.0 (360 hours).

National finalists

Full scholarship for the online MBA in Entrepreneurial Education 5.0 (360 hours); participation in the national awards ceremony.

National Winners

Full scholarship for the online MBA in Entrepreneurial Education 5.0 (360 hours); participation in the national awards ceremony; national technical mission fully funded by Sebrae.

CHECK OUT THE RESULTS:

Elementary School – Early Grades

Gold: Regiane Freitas, Campo Largo (PR) – “Waste Is Responsibility, Sustainability, and Income” Project

Silver: Verônica Ximenes, Barra dos Coqueiros (SE) – “Reaping the Rewards of JEEP” Project

Bronze: Valda Nascimento, Macapá (AP) – “Plant Me and Discover Who I Am” Project

Elementary School – Upper Grades

Gold: Gonçalo Lopes, Piracuruca (PI) – Project “Mathematics and the Environment: From Trash to Treasure! Part 02”

Silver: Anselmo Augusto, Belém (PA) – “Reusetech – Reusing Solid Waste for Technology Education” Project

Bronze: Pábula Nataely, Santana (AP) – Project “Entrepreneurship in School: The Circo Almirante da Alegria Show”

High School

Gold: Joseane Pasquali, Pelotas (RS) – Project “Beep Factory—a device to improve safety for people who are deaf or hard of hearing in the manufacturing industry”

Silver: Edson Sousa, Bacabal (MA) – Project: “Recycled Paper Made from Babassu Fiber”

Bronze: Danilo Freire, Campina Grande (PB) – “InSocialTec” Project

Vocational Education

Gold: Ivanilde Cordeiro, São Luís (MA) – Project: “The IFMA 2020 Coworking Project – Entrepreneurship in the Digital World to Overcome the COVID-19 Crisis”

Silver: José Augusto Andrade, Aracaju (SE) – Project: “Production of face shields and masks to combat the pandemic”

Bronze: Fabíola Dorneles, Jacarezinho (PR) – “Kucaracha” Project

Higher Education

Gold: Marcelo Camponez, Vila Velha (ES) – “Inovaweek” Project

Silver: Daniel Fernandes, Goiânia (GO) – “Engineers of Childhood” Project

Bronze: Rodrigo Augusto Rocha Baluz, Parnaíba (PI) – Project: “Carnaúba Valley: A Community of Startups, Technology, and Entrepreneurship in Northern Piauí.”