The bridge of knowledge between Avenues and the residents of Jardim Panorama paves the way for two-way learning

In the everyday life of a Leap Program volunteer, the day does not wind down when the clock strikes 4 pm. Instead, it marks the beginning of a new chapter, one filled with the anticipation of welcoming the children, teenagers and adults who live across the street in Jardim Panorama, for extracurricular educational classes. What is it that motivates teachers and students to willingly extend their school hours instead of heading straight home?

Between February and May 2023, the program had 195 participants from Jardim Panorama and 30 volunteers from Avenues (20 employees and 10 students), divided into 16 classes. Today, the program takes place on campus, where the community has access to the school's physical and technological structure.

With the purpose of creating a bridge between two worlds that are so close and yet so far apart, the Leap Program goes by the motto "Education beyond the school walls".
And since its creation in 2019, the Program has been growing steadily.

In 2022, some of the Leap classes resumed their in-person sessions on the Avenues campus. At the end of the same year, the first LEAP celebration took place, an open showcase for participants and their families.

Avenues’ students joined the project as volunteers in 2023. Between February and May 2023, the program had 195 participants from Jardim Panorama and 30 volunteers from Avenues (20 employees and 10 students), divided into classes of 16 different subjects, such as English, literacy, tennis, basketball, ballet, music, creativity workshops and astronomy.

The program takes place on campus, where the community has access to the school's physical and technological infrastructure.

Library Acess

Leap Celebration

“Being a human" class: empathy, listening and complexity

"After the first-hand experience, a student came up with a project focused on healthy eating, taking into account economic, social, health and sustainability aspects. "

Cristina Oliveira
Avenues colleague and a member of the Leap's coordination team

At first glance, the Leap Program might be perceived as a volunteer project aimed at a neighboring community; however, the leap is actually much greater. Involvement in the program prompts Avenues students, first and foremost, to listen, understand the needs of others and embrace differences.

"Leap is not just about classes, but rather about empathy and understanding other realities. At this point the emotional maturity of the Avenues students taking part in the program becomes a key factor in their overall engagement," said Marina Braga, Avenues teacher involved in the program's coordination in 2023.

Lessons about commitment to others, a culture of sharing knowledge and a systemic vision are other learning points for the Avenues student volunteers. "After the first-hand experience, a student came up with a project focused on healthy eating, taking into account economic, social, health and sustainability aspects," said Cristina Oliveira, Avenues colleague and a member of the Leap's coordination team.

The program is currently in development and is open to Avenues teachers, collaborators and students. To find out more, write to leap-sp@avenues.org.

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This initiative aims to create a bridge of knowledge between the school and the Jardim Panorama community with the help of volunteer students and teachers who offer extracurricular educational classes to children, teenagers and adults from the community. In addition to classes, the program emphasizes values such as empathy, active listening and the understanding of different realities, promoting emotional growth and commitment to others. The experience also encourages a systemic and collaborative approach to dealing with complex issues.

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