| Unibanco has, since 2003, a partnership with Instituto Fernand Braudel de Economia
Mundial, responsible for the Reading Circles project, which looks to develop
the reading habit and reading skills among students of public schools in lower-income
areas. It also stimulates reflection, debate, intellectual curiosity, leadership
and cooperation, while opening the participant's access to literature from various
periods and styles.
The concept was developed from Instituto Fernand Braudel's activities of research
and community mobilization in Diadema, São Paulo, involving public institutions,
teachers and the local society to prevent violence in the city, which has one of the highest homicide
rates in the world.
The program currently serves 1,400 students, ages 12-19, from public schools
in Diadema, São Bernardo do Campo and other cities in São Paulo
metropolitan region. After six months in the program, 70% of participating students
show progress in their reading skills, information identification and retrieval,
besides increasing their comprehension capacity. |
