PROJECT

Started in 2007, the Connecting project seeks to promote the digital inclusion of residents of the 16 favelas in Maré. The main objective is to bring technological education as a way of guaranteeing the right of access to information for children, youth and adults, by providing the necessary tools for their social transformation. During the pandemic, the project continued to carry out activities remotely through mentoring, video conferences on technology and weekly discussions about the impact of technology on society.

The course resumed its face-to-face activities at the Computer Laboratory, in the main building of Redes da Maré. The course takes place at night and lasts 2 and a half months, with 4 hours per week. Today, the Digital Tools and Connecting Women classes are active, and demand has grown.

CONNECTING WOMEN

One of the classes that are part of the course is the Connecting Women, as there is still a significant number of women in Maré who do not have knowledge of digital tools. The group was created in 2021 to offer the necessary knowledge of the virtual world. The target audience is women leaders of families and households, who often failed to invest in their studies to donate their time to such care. In the pandemic period, classes took place remotely, on Saturdays.

CONNECTING TEACHERS

To overcome the barriers imposed on education by the pandemic, we launched another course that could be applied by teachers in the school routine. The proposal was to contribute to the continuity of the teaching and learning process in schools. Connecting Teachers was born in the second half of 2021, through a partnership between the schools in the territory and the Education axis of Redes da Maré. The course was open to teachers from the 50 public schools in Maré.

CONNECTING WEAVERS

With the growing demand for remote work, the project also sought to support Redes da Maré's weavers (staff), with the creation of Connecting Weavers. In December 2020, this class was started to provide teaching resources to better carry out actions and work through various collaborative tools for teams. Approximately 30 employees graduated from the first class.

CONNECTING CPV STUDENTS

Classes take place in partnership with Mathematics and Portuguese teachers, and the contents of number operations, gold material, multiples, MMC, patterns in number sequences and computational thinking for solving mathematical problems are trained. Along with this content, online games are used, developing typing skills, mouse mastery and website reading skills. In the class linked to the Portuguese content, text interpretation, reading incentive and textual types are worked, seeking to develop the ability to search on Google, knowing how to interpret the content and select with quality. Also, the skills of summarizing texts using the copy and paste feature, as well as authorial writing. As a resource, the classes are focused on the use of the WORD application, working with text editing tools and the autonomy to structure research and schoolwork.

METHODOLOGY

The project is divided into 2 modules, but each content is adapted to the demands of each class profile:

1. Digital Tools - 40 hours - Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm

Introduce the student to the main tools that can be incorporated into their work, study and personal routine, such as Office and Google.

2. Google Sheets - 20 hours

Introduce the student to one of the most essential tools in the job market today, and how it applies to the control and organization of data.

Currently, having technological knowledge is necessary to participate in the digital age. Having access to opportunities for work, studies, leisure and information is to be present and inserted in the world.

Connecting weavers: 'Google Sheets' module

Connecting weavers: Module ‘Digital Tools’

CONNECTING DURING THE PANDEMIC

In 2020, in the context of the pandemic, Connecting continued to carry out its activities remotely with students who were enrolled in the face-to-face mode until that moment.

The project team carried out a survey on connectivity and access with students and observed that the vast majority had only cell phones, and it was not possible to continue teaching with the use of a computer and its tools.

As a way of overcoming this impediment and enabling teaching on the use of technology and access to information, the project channel on Youtube - Canal Conectando - was created to assist students and maintain classes. The channel served as a platform for sharing educational videos on the use of cell phones on the internet, which is the most accessible way for residents, working on topics such as the use of applications, safety tips, storage and teaching platforms.

In addition to creating the channel, the project carried out other important actions, such as mentoring, training and the engagement and participation of beneficiaries in challenges on the use of technology to solve problems.

"Security in Gmail"

"Scanning your documents"

"Saving files to Google Drive"

TESTIMONIALS FROM STUDENTS AND FORMER STUDENTS

"It was a wonderful experience, because I was able to expand my knowledge in computing. It helped me a lot to be able to organize myself through Google Drive agenda, to use and make a spreadsheet in Drive, and to perform my work better."

Elaina Laia, 47, weaver and resident of Maré

"The course has taught me some digital mechanisms, which will serve both in my professional and personal life. Today, I'm more educated on how to make a spreadsheet, and I've already applied this knowledge at work. I also learned how to build a resume more simply and effectively!"

Raquel Cassimiro, 22, student at Connecting Women

"I found, in the course, the possibility of expanding my knowledge and improving my home-office work even more. Performing the activities in real time with the teacher was the best, given that she visualized everything I was doing and guided me. She also helped me with the app of the municipality [RioEduca]."

Maria Andréa Britto, 37, adjunct teacher at Pescador Albano Rosa Municipal Nursery and student at Connecting Teachers