Fourth and fifth grade students of public schools in São João da Barra, Campos and São José do Ubá are participating in the Campo Limpo Environmental Education Program (PEA), developed by the National Institute for Processing Empty Containers (INPEV), in partnership with Açu Port and the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ). In an effort to increase awareness among students of environmental rights and obligations, the project launched a competition this year of drawings and compositions inspired by the theme “Solid residues: shared responsibility”.
“The idea is to encourage children to think about recycling, so that they understand that everyone can make a difference and fulfill their role in managing solid residue. We want them to feel that they are a part of the system and assimilate this in a playful and creative way,” said Gleide Gomes, Social Responsibility Coordinator of Açu Port.
The manager of the Association of Resellers of Agricultural Input in Northern Rio de Janeiro (ASSINF), Herval Pereira, also a representative of INPEV in the region, emphasized the participation of schools in many projects under the Environmental Education Program this year, such as planting vegetable gardens on disposable receptacles.
More than 600 students from 12 schools participated in the program and about 70 were selected for the competition. For their participation, all of them will be given pencil cases provided by the port. Fourth grade students are competing with drawings and fifth grade students are competing with written compositions. Today, São João da Barra students turned in their works.
Educação ambiental 1.jpg
“This project is very cool. It encourages us to think and write, and one needs creativity to write a composition, right? At the beginning, we were surprised by the idea of writing 20 lines, but as the text develops and we create, there is a desire to write more than required,” said Rebeca Almeida Silva, a fifth grade student at José Alves Barreto School.
“Interestingly, as it is a playful activity and a friendly competition, the child is encouraged to give her best. The project brought students out of classroom monotony, sparking some pleasure in producing text and spelling correctly. They find out that new horizons open up through education,” said Davi Manhães Rodrigues, a fifth grade teacher at Manoel Alves Rangel School.
The first selection of works was done by school teachers. The chosen drawings and compositions will be sent to a group of examiners formed by representatives of the project’s partners: Açu Port, INPEV, UFRRJ, recycling company Grande Rio and the Environment Secretary of the City of Campos dos Goytacazes. Awards will be given to the six students chosen (three of each grade). Winners will be given tablet devices, runner-ups will be given backpacks and cases, and third places will also receive backpacks.
The awards ceremony will be held on August 18, during the event celebrating Campo Limpo National Day. Furthermore, the winning drawing and composition of each grade will participate in the national round of the competition, which takes place in September in São Paulo.
The National Institute for Processing Empty Containers (INPEV) is responsible for reverse logistics of agricultural chemicals in Brazil and is a partner of Prumo Logística, the developer and operator of the port.
