"I never thought anything like this would ever happen to me. The work of teachers in small towns is not valued, we don't think that we'll ever have an opportunity like this. This gives us hope." --
CEC's director Maria Aparecida Avelino |
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The non-profit CEC school opened its doors in January 2005 to 150 pupils and quickly gained a reputation for quality education and concern for the community.
Today, the school has 190 pupils ranging from 3 – 18 years old. One in five of those students has a parent in the Fair Trade Certified™ COOPFAM co-op, one of the region's biggest, with 215 families. Those students pay a quarter of the regular tuition fee, thanks to a special discount.
The CEC is a co-operative education project started in 2004 by 33 teachers. The CEC serves the whole community by organizing adult literacy and education activities, and sustainable agriculture seminars for farmers. |
