{"id":83017,"date":"2026-03-29T19:39:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T22:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=83017"},"modified":"2026-03-31T22:15:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T01:15:50","slug":"award-winning-middle-high-school-in-penha-favela-hosts-gardening-collective-action-engaging-passionate-young-environmental-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=83017","title":{"rendered":"Award-Winning Middle School in Penha Favela Hosts Gardening Collective Action Engaging Passionate Young Environmental Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"GET<\/a>
GET Brant Horta students during the garden collective action at the school. Photo: Amanda Baroni<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Two years ago, classes at the Brant Horta Technological Municipal School (GET Brant Horta<\/a>), located in Penha<\/a>, a complex of favelas and surrounding neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro\u2019s North Zone<\/a>, resumed in a special way: with a collective action in the school\u2019s community garden<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This happened with the support of Vilson Luiz<\/a>, a tour guide and environmental educator from Penha responsible for coordinating the project, and the Frente Penha<\/a> collective. On March 5, students, teachers and environmental partners came together in a welcome ritual for new students<\/a>. The event, a March activity on the Sustainable Favela Network’s (SFN<\/a>)* collective calendar, also brought together environmental volunteers, such as Edvana do Nascimento, a member of A\u00e7\u00e3o da Cidadania<\/a>; Mara L\u00facia Ara\u00fajo, a member of the Positive Women<\/a> collective; Franklin Ramos, an environmental educator; Eliana Ramos, an entrepreneur from Edixe Accessories; Lucia Helena Barbosa, from the Transvida Cooperative<\/a>; and Maria Jos\u00e9 da Silva.<\/p>\n

\"Collective<\/a>
Collective action in the school garden at GET Brant Horta, in Penha. Photo: Amanda Baroni<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Environment as an Educational Tool<\/h3>\n

As previously published<\/a> by RioOnWatch<\/em>, the Complexo da Penha<\/a> region is one of the city\u2019s main urban heat islands<\/a>. Concerned about this reality, GET Brant Horta began raising students\u2019 awareness by carrying out practical actions of care and preservation in the area surrounding the school, encouraging a sense of belonging<\/a>.<\/p>\n

During 2024 Environment Week, students and teachers organized a collective action<\/a> in Ary Barroso Park to revitalize the previously underused site. Marjorie Guimar\u00e3es, principal of GET Brant Horta, recalls:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe even did some planting there [in Ary Barroso Park]. The idea of bringing the community to the school or the school going to the community was to improve students\u2019 behavior, so they understand why they should not destroy or break things.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, the initiative was short-lived due to armed conflicts in the area. This motivated the administration and students to create their own on-campus community garden in May 2024\u2014both to continue what had started in the park and to make productive use of unused spaces in the school.<\/p>\n

Virg\u00ednia do Esp\u00edrito Santo, geography teacher, shares how the project reaffirms the importance of collective, creative organizing<\/a> between teachers, students, the community and projects within Complexo da Penha:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe asked them [the students] what we could do with the empty space we had on the school grounds and they said: \u2018We don\u2019t have a green space here in the school.\u2019 So we thought: \u2018Why don’t we build a garden, then?\u2019 And they agreed. We teachers made an estimate [of what we needed to start the garden] and purchased the materials. Then, Vilson got fertilizer from [waste utility] Comlurb to help improve the soil. Some people from the NGO Sowing and Harvesting Friendship<\/a> came to help, and the Serra da Miseric\u00f3rdia Integration Center, <\/a>(CEM) came too, bringing supplies, seedlings and seeds. And then we got started.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Um post compartilhado por GET Brant Horta (@brant_horta)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n