During our field researches on public education in the periphery of Greater São Paulo, we found an alarming abscence of reading in the classrooms. The Reading Circles project was created on 2000, with the first group of participants being from the supletive course of the city school of Conforja, at Diadema. At 2002, this pilot project had already beneficed 398 participants in 3 schools of Diadema and in Community Centers of São Bernardo with the partnership of the Fundação Criança (Child's Foundation).
Through inquiry-based, interactive after-school and in-school programming, the Science Academy project aims to develop scientific interest and knowledge among public school students living in high-need communities, improving their educational and work opportunities. Created in 2006, this pilot project is funded by the GE Foundation and Sangari Institute, and is working with three public schools where we already conduct Reading Circles. This program has a strong peer leadership component, training high school participants to assist in leading experiments, field trips and other small group activities for middle school and other high school students.
The Braudel Institute, supported by the World Bank, has started at 2000, in a partnership with the policies and the City Council of Diadema, a project on researching, politics and local actions to reduce the violence on the city.