This year 42 best practices were received and evaluated by a qualified team of professionals from the education, communication and edu-communication sectors. The seminar was organised by the Committee of Provincial Communication Coordinators, with the direct support of Sister Maike Loes, National Communication Coordinator of the RSB, and the head of the RSB formation project, Ana Paula Costa e Silva.
The event included the presentation of ten innovative best practices – five per day - that are being developed in different presences of the Salesian Network Brazil
The stories shared were:
– "AUXICAST", a podcast developed by Colégio Auxiliadora di Recife (PE) that aims to connect students and the community through digital communication;
-The "OSAF Reading Incentive Movement (MILO)", promoted by the Salesian Fraternal Support Work in Araras, which aims to awaken the pleasure of reading among young people by creating literary spaces and facilitating access to books;
– "KombiCast", by the Casa di Puríssimo in Guaratinguetá, a creative initiative that uses a Kombi van and the podcast format to encourage young people to communicate and express themselves;
– the "Experiences of religious education" project of the Mary Help of Christians Institute in Goiânia, which integrates spiritual values into the daily lives of students, promoting ethical and moral reflection;
– the "Young Communicators" project at the São Joaquim Institute in Lorraine, which offers students tools to produce content, develop critical communication skills and social responsibility;
– The "I, you... WE: paths that are built", developed by the Institute in São José dos Campos, which through the production of a book of poems and embroidery works, revives traditional techniques and involves families and their stories, promoting artistic expression, and the strengthening of interpersonal and inter-generational relationships.
– The "ECOAR Collective" at the Abequar Institute in Linares, which values youth leadership and education through communication and art, using dialogue circles and creative workshops;
– The project "From Paper to Life: a practice that makes a difference" at the Mary Help of Christians High School in Campinas, which has encouraged the practical application of school knowledge, promoting a connection between theory and reality, with positive impacts on student engagement;
– The project "The dream that makes you dream – The lesson of Don Bosco today", at the Dom Bosco Institute in Salvador de Bahia, which disseminates the teachings of Don Bosco and their relevance;
– and, finally, "Connection of Knowledge", of the Salesian school in Brasilia, which integrates knowledge and practice, promoting active involvement of students and social inclusion.
The selection of these 10 projects out of the 42 total present was carried out by an evaluation committee, based on certain criteria: evidence of the educational and communicative dimension; correlation between the project, practice and the Salesian educational mission; participation and commitment of the educative and pastoral community; the scope extent of practice; social relevance of the results obtained.
At the end of the event, the RSB reiterated its commitment to promoting inclusive and transformative communication, reinforcing the idea that communication is essential for social change. Sister Loes congratulated the "protagonists of best practices" that were shared during the seminar and stressed that "young people have dreams: one of these is to have an impact on the world through communication (...). They are the protagonists, the young people."
For the future, a digital space will be set up where it will be possible to review the presentations made over the two days of the seminar and learn the details of all the best practices.
Angelica Novais, Sister Maike Loes
