Social engagement program includes trip to Tennessee and summer camp at the U.S. Consulate in São Paulo
The U.S. Consulate in São Paulo, in partnership with SESC Itaquera and Alumni Association, selected 14 of the 30 girls from the first edition of “Estrelas do Futebol” program to attend soccer lessons, visit public schools and explore volunteer projects during a 10-day excursion in Knoxville, TN. The students who remained in Brazil also were involved in classes and volunteer projects and worked on creating a volunteer project of their own.
The trip took place in late April to promote sports and a culture of volunteerism through the understanding of its importance and the development of volunteer activities. The girls conducted their projects at the University of Tennessee and to understand how volunteering in the United States works and how some voluntary practices could be implemented in Brazil on similar projects.
The 16 girls who remained in Brazil were tasked to research how a volunteer organization works and the biggest challenges organizations face, as well as current volunteer practices in Brazil. They also participated in an immersion camp in American culture held at the U.S. Consulate in Sao Paulo and spent a day with an American family. With the return of the girls who traveled to Tennessee, the group came together to share experiences and to start work on developing a volunteer project.
The “Estrelas do Futebol” program, a cornerstone of the U.S. Mission to Brazil’s Sports Diplomacy work, offers soccer, English, and leadership classes to 13 to 15-year-old public school students for a period of one year, with the objective of forming community leaders able promote social engagement and diversity. Submissions for the next edition of the program, which takes place in Brazil, is now open:http://www.sescsp.org.br/programacao/34840_PROGRAMA+ESTRELAS+DO+FUTEBOL)#/content=saiba-mais
