In 2005, Vaga Lume Association created the Net Project with the aim of promoting intercultural dialogue among teenagers (from 11 to 14 years of age) from rural communities in the Legal Amazon – whether quilombolas, indigenous, riverside or rural settlements – and São Paulo state in the southeast, the most industrialized and economically developed region of Brazil.
The idea behind the Net Project is to promote cultural diversity, respect and awareness while stimulating teenagers’ reading and writing skills. Its actions take place in public and private schools libraries, as well as in non-profit organizations that promote non-formal education. The Vaga Lume Project’s main activity is ensuring continuous contact between students from rural schools in the Amazon with either students of urban schools or teenagers benefiting from the work of social institutions in São Paulo.
Vaga Lume, based on the ideas of the Polish-Jewish educator Korczak, creates an environment where teenagers are autonomous and empowered. In the Integration Camp, students are also responsible for the creation of rules and for solving ordinary day-by-day problems. This imposes a need for interaction among teenagers from distinct cultural backgrounds, stimulating their cooperation and mutual respect.
