Cidadao Pro-Mundo

Cidadao Pro-Mundo (CPM) strives to promote social integration and career opportunities to underprivileged communities in Brazil through learning English. Through an innovative volunteering model, CPM offers free English classes to over 2,400 students from 13 underprivileged communities across the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. English is still an asset for the privileged in developing countries. In Brazil, studies indicate that no more than 10% of the population can communicate in English. Moreover, surveys show that those who can speak English have significant advantages in an increasingly globalized world. Wages can be up to 35% higher and professionals looking for re-emp... read more Cidadao Pro-Mundo (CPM) strives to promote social integration and career opportunities to underprivileged communities in Brazil through learning English. Through an innovative volunteering model, CPM offers free English classes to over 2,400 students from 13 underprivileged communities across the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. English is still an asset for the privileged in developing countries. In Brazil, studies indicate that no more than 10% of the population can communicate in English. Moreover, surveys show that those who can speak English have significant advantages in an increasingly globalized world. Wages can be up to 35% higher and professionals looking for re-employment have a 50% higher chance of being hired if they have advanced English skills. For young people from low-income communities in Brazil, the possibilities for upward social mobility remain largely closed without proficiency of this valuable language. Within this context, we believe that English is a core social development skill that allows our students to explore several other opportunities that otherwise they would never be able to. We currently offer free a 5-year English course to about 2,400 students. CPM classes are held on weekends and are all taught by local volunteers. We mobilize about 1,250 volunteers, known as "volunteachers," who donate their time to teach the CPM English course. The course is entirely free to all of our students, who receive course materials from our academic and pedagogical partners. In our units in twelve communities in the state of Sao Paulo and one in the state of Rio de Janeiro, each community receives the opportunity to enroll students in free weekend English classes. All the teaching material used by teachers and students throughout the CPM course is developed and provided by Cambridge University Press, a partner that helps us to guarantee the high level of quality of the course without any cost to our students or volunteers. Beginner students start at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) and finish the course at the B1 level. After the 5-year general CPM course, we offer another course, CPM Qualify, which prepares students for the level B2 First Certificate in English (FCE) exam, the most internationally-recognized certificate for English proficiency. With an FCE certificate, our students are able to enter the globalized workplace and institutions for higher study with these valuable credentials. As mentioned, we mobilize over 1,200 'volunteachers' to teach our classes, most of whom come from privileged backgrounds. Volunteachers use their command of English to teach CPM's classes, and each receive all course materials from our pedagogical team. Each volunteacher is asked to only teach one class per month, which allows them to fit their commitment to CPM into their busy schedules. The exchange between volunteers and students is a very important aspect of our program. We connect volunteers who are usually people from higher income families who had access to good quality education with students at underprivileged communities whose realities they otherwise would probably never understand so well. By gathering these two different segments of society, both sides gain in cultural exchange. Students can not only learn English but also expand their future prospects of employment and income. Volunteers not only contribute to the better futures of our students but also learn by more deeply understanding new realities and thus are much better prepared to help tackle the main social challenges and inequalities of our beloved country. In addition to English pedagogy, we also organize mock interviews and workshops in order to prepare students to enter the workplace. Through partnerships with local and international companies, students attend mock job interviews to practice using their English skills for employment opportunities. Another active project is CPM Talents, in which a detailed database of students is created in order to identify job opportunities for students amongst the companies that support the NGO.