The Telemar Education Project made its name in the company’s social responsibility actions. Now Tonomundo aims to transform reality through the development of community projects that valorize Brazilian education in a locally sustainable manner. Through the creation of computer laboratories with internet access in public primary schools, the project prioritizes initiatives that integrate the family and the school, while at the same time renewing the values of citizenship.
Brazil is written with the mouse
There is no doubt that education is at the center of the immense challenge of transforming Brazilian society. Innovative initiatives such as Tonomundo are not isolated and help to ensure that the future can be something positive. Since its creation in 2000 to the present it has been possible to measure its impact through the benefits it has given communities: going beyond school walls and encouraging the resolution of local problems. Through the implementation of the project the school gains a significant role in the community, being transformed into an agent that can modify reality. Public schools in the most distant parts of Brazils can now count on specially trained teachers and computer laboratories equipped with computers, scanners, printers, and most especially internet access.
Initially the pilot project was set up in 16 schools – one in each state where Oi and Telemar operate – reaching 67 locations. Now it includes 515,000 students and 7276 teachers from 437 public schools, not to mention the thousands of members of communities who participate in computer learning projects.
In 2004 the project was adopted as public policy in Pernambuco. In 2006 Tonomundo was implemented in Fortaleza, with the project methodology being used in public schools there.
Tonomundo arose out of a long-lasting partnership with School of the Future from São Paulo University, one of the best educational institutions in the country. USP is responsible for training the teachers involved and for accompanying the program during the academic year. This – and future alliances – already delineate a collection of success stories of individuals and communities who have discovered a world that is much greater than it originally seemed. Even when it does not fit on a computer screen.
