This summer, I started a mixed-method pilot study in partnership with Movimento Futuro, an NGO working to expand equitable, purpose-driven education in Brazilian schools. My research, Localizing Global Citizenship: A Mixed Methods Case Study of the Caminho do Futuro Program, examines the relation between UNESCO's Global Citizenship Education (GCE) framework and Caminho do Futuro (“Path to the Future”) pedagogical program.
Caminho do Futuro is based on Brazil’s Projeto de Vida (“Life Project”) policy, a curriculum component that encourages students to connect personal aspirations with collective responsibility. Implemented through a collaborative board game, the program helps middle school students reflect on identity, empathy, autonomy, and community engagement while training teachers to facilitate the activities.
This study combines document analysis, teacher surveys, and interviews to explore two questions: (1) To what extent does the program relate to UNESCO’s Global Citizenship Education framework? and (2) How do teachers perceive its relevance, feasibility, and challenges? Preliminary analysis shows partial alignment with GCE, with the curriculum emphasizing self-awareness, empathy, and local action - what some scholars call “soft” GCE - preparing the grounds but not yet offering many opportunities for critical discussions on inequality, power, and coloniality.
One of my key takeaways so far is that, considering the local context, the “soft” approach is not necessarily superficial. In contexts marked by scarcity, they provide the social-emotional foundation that enables students to later engage critically. Another early finding is the need to shift its expansion strategy from working directly with teachers to collaborating with Municipal Departments of Education, a move already started by the NGO, recognizing that sustainable impact requires systemic partnerships rather than isolated training.
This project has also been reshaping my understanding of African and Diasporic education. Brazil’s public education system, serving a majority of Afro-Brazilian and low-income youth, continues to reflect the legacies of colonial hierarchies and racial inequality. Observing how teachers interpret Citizenship Education within this context can reveal how diasporic knowledge and resilience shape classroom practice. This journey reminds me that citizenship education is created and lived locally, one classroom at a time.