By Fatima Limaverde, Brazil.
In Fortaleza, Brazil, educator and environmentalist Fátima Limaverde founded Escola Vila in 1981 with a commitment to educating creative, engaged citizens. She helped develop its Ecosystem Pedagogy, which connects learning about oneself with relationships in society and nature. Years ago, the Earth Charter became one of the guiding texts supporting this school approach and its understanding that social and environmental challenges are interconnected.
Fátima also designed the Caring for Planet Earth collection, a set of six portfolios that connects subjects through shared projects. In one project, students visit parks, dunes, and rivers, investigate environmental problems, and present their findings to public officials and environmental specialists. In another, they visit institutions caring for older people and help organise an intergenerational gathering with music and games.
Through these experiences, care becomes something children practise in their communities. The school describes its move towards an interconnected curriculum as a significant challenge and a central part of its development. For Fátima and her colleagues, the Earth Charter provides a shared ethical reference for learning that joins knowledge with participation and responsibility for life.
