Experiential Education

The education offered at Green School Brazil is not of a formal or certified nature.  There are no diploma’s or certificates issued by Green School Brazil and neither is it planned that there will be. Green School Brazil offers six-week semesters and aims to provide experiential access to a large number of environmental activities that serve to open students to a greater awareness of themselves and their relationship and responsibility to the environment.

When describing the style of education we have in mind and the semester period of six weeks a friend said to me, “it sounds like you are offering a holiday with a purpose” and I immediately replied, “I think that should be our slogan!”. Green School is as much about fun and travel as it is about learning and experiencing a solution orientated life.  Our success in not defined by the six weeks but what students are motivated to do after attending Green School.  For this reason throughout the semester, we encourage leadership development and personal awareness. 

Six Weeks Semesters

What will Green School Brazil students learn in a six week semester?
We believe in learning in the process of doing – in other words, the experiential education.  Activities are divided into four ‘legs’ however many activities will in the experience naturally cover more than one of these legs at the same time.

A) Environmental B) Personal Growth & Development C) Travel D) Arts & Culture

A) Environmental activities include mountain walks with naturalists and botanists to learn about natural medicines, visiting an artisanal dairy and making cheese, gathering honey from our own hives, participating in our own hydroponics installation and other organic farming techniques, alternative energy projects and water management, forestry (working with Ibama), learning visits to a neighbouring fish farms and artisanal dairy where we will learn how to make cheese, helping at ARC (our Animal Rescue Centre), mushroom farming, assisting at the Araucaria nursery on the farm, learning visits to nearby coffee plantation and a cachaça distillery!

B) Personal Growth & Development – The mission of Green School Brazil, is that through group activities students will develop leadership skills that will enable them to successfully and sustainably implement their own projects in their own communities.  We aim to turn enthusiasm and passion into practical projects! 
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C) Travel – visiting Brazil’s Costa Verde (Green Coast) and nearby national parks and historic towns. We have a specific page to refer to on Green School Brazil travel.  Travel events will be combined with environmental learning projects and activities.

D) Arts & Culture – Experiencing Brazil’s rich culture in a way that includes digital photography, art, lapidary, ceramics, dance, music and food.

A full semester is six weeks – six weeks of learning, fun, adventure, camaraderie and travel!
A total number of students 16. In a later Phase this will increase to 32 students.

Every ‘semester’ aims to take a group of like-minded young people on a journey of discovery with others who seek to immerse themselves in a stimulating environment where education happens as a result of interaction through outdoor activities rather than within a classroom with textbooks.

There are two, semester lengths; the full semester is six weeks and there is an option for an additional two-week extension.
The extended semester includes more travel and a greater focus on a project that the student intends taking further interest in.  The extended semester is reduced from 16 to a maximum of 8 students and this number may include returning students from previous semesters who want further assistance with a selected project.

Read more on Experiential Education here

Green School Brazil and Green Think Foundation is/are members or affiliates of:
         

Q&A  – Have a question?
Please see our FAQ page for Frequently asked questions.