ADCAM (Brazil): Unparalleled Community Engagement and a Vision for the Future

Mona Brazil Group (L to R): Farah Ghalili, Ladarrious Frisson, Jasmine Taylor, Mahnaz Javid, Nava Ghalili, Laura Baerwolf, Audrey Moy, Peter Moy, Lena Sisson (not pictured: Arman Khorram, Kelly Lacy)

Seeing ADCAM's programs in action is a glimpse into the future of education and the future of community – where teachers, administrators, students, families, community members, and businesses closely collaborate with love, dignity, respect, and a united vision for the upliftment and benefit of all. Their story is one of great love, great sacrifice, and great perseverance. For more than 30 years, they have served the most vulnerable through various programs designed to meet the community’s needs as they arose. While some programs have been discontinued due to loss of government funding, ADCAM’s dedication and commitment to learning has raised their institutional capacity, educated and empowered generations, and created an unparalleled level of community engagement.

Our 3-day visit was hosted by Executive Director Payman Agahnejad, Academic Director Ana Cristina Farzin, and ADCAM Board member Flavio Rassekh, who kindly served as translator. Our arrival coincided with the school’s annual Festival of Lights, a two-day celebration with a community gathering and special class presentations aimed at eliminating religious prejudice. Each grade had spent several months learning about a different world religion and preparing songs, dances, and presentations to share their learning with other students and parents.

We also had an opportunity to visit with the families of students at their homes and join a presentation by the students and volunteers in the After School programs which includes children’s virtue classes, junior youth empowerment programs, and a program for elders. Time was also set aside to videotape several testimonials from students and families. While these were given in Portuguese, it was clear from the reactions of people in the room that their words were very moving. We eagerly await the translated versions. 

A few other points of interest from the visit:

• Indigenous people are highly marginalized in Brazil to the point that people won’t admit to being from a tribal culture. To help promote a positive cultural identity for its students, the school painted beautiful wall-sized murals of indigenous people at the entrance and throughout the common areas. Along with the school’s loving, affirming environment, the prominent and ennobling murals are doing more than promoting positive identity. In the words of one of our team members, “It is helping students heal from the intergenerational trauma of racism”.
  

• 90% of teachers at School of the Future studied at Tahereh University, a previous ADCAM program that provided teacher training and certification.
• Young Apprentice students are in high demand because they are known to be trustworthy, capable, reliable, and have an internal moral code. Many are offered jobs before they complete the program. The students take great pride in their work and earnings. One young man shared, “With the money I make as a Young Apprentice, I pay for half of my family’s expenses.” The youth are very proud to be help their mothers and families.
• The afterschool programs are open to children and youth attending nearby public schools. The School is working to significantly expand participation in these programs in the coming three years. 
• The Elders program, honors the elders in the community and the service they provide: raising their grandchildren, volunteering in the classrooms and afterschool programs, and running a thrift shop of collected clothing for those in need. In addition to providing a venue for the elders to consult and serve together, the program also organizes classes for them offered by community volunteers.
  

With the pandemic behind them, ADCAM is now in process of completing its organizational assessment and developing a Three-Year Plan. They have identified 3 critical goals:

1. Raise the quality of their educational program to become one of the top 20 schools in Manaus. School of Nations has committed to help them do this and will be assisting with teacher training and curriculum review in the coming year.
2. Achieve financial sustainability by increasing total enrollment to 1,050: 600 students at School of the Future and 450 students in the Young Apprentice Program. By law, 1/3 of students at private schools must receive scholarships. The higher enrollment will ensure sufficient funds from tuition payments. Towards this goal, they have already streamlined what had been an array of programs down to two “pillars”: the preK-12 School of the Future and the Young Apprentice Program (described above).
3. Invest in infrastructure and ongoing maintenance to reflect the school’s standing, quality, and values. This is a relatively urgent need as the facility is fairly run down in places and unfinished in others. The Board has been hesitant to include maintenance $ in the budget but is realizing this is a necessity. Flavio also mentioned the need for a reception area to receive visitors before entering student areas.