Promoting Education and Opportunity through Rugby

Over the past few months, UmRio has continued expanding both its reach and its impact across Greater Rio de Janeiro. Our programmes are now firmly established in eight partner schools, delivering more than 70 hours each week of sport, education and integrated support to children and young people living in underprivileged communities.

The latest results from our 2026 monitoring show encouraging progress across both wellbeing and educational outcomes. Participants reported a 6% improvement in mental wellbeing, measured using the internationally recognised WHO-5 Well-Being Index, alongside a 3% increase in communication skills. At the same time, new school data revealed a 20% improvement in mathematics pass rates and a 12% improvement in Portuguese pass rates among participating students. These results reinforce our belief that when young people are supported both inside and outside the classroom, they are better equipped to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

One of the highlights of the past few months has been the continued growth of our Museum Learning Programme. More than 200 students have now taken part in immersive visits to some of Rio de Janeiro's leading art museums, with 66% visiting a museum for the very first time. By combining museum visits with classroom preparation and reflection activities, the programme is helping young people discover new spaces, broaden their horizons and imagine new possibilities for their futures. Early results are already encouraging, with participants reporting a 5% increase in academic aspirations, a 3% improvement in their sense of belonging, and a 6% improvement in mental wellbeing following participation.

Our competitive rugby programme has also gone from strength to strength. This year, our Under-19 team competed in a national tournament at this age group for the first time, delivering an outstanding performance and demonstrating how far our young athletes have progressed both on and off the field. Rugby continues to be a powerful platform for developing resilience, leadership and teamwork among the young people we serve.

Meanwhile, our robotics programme continues to inspire students to pursue science, technology and innovation. After finishing first and second in the Brazilian National Robotics Championship in consecutive years (2024 and 2025), we are now preparing to send eight teams to this year's national competition - the largest delegation in UmRio's history.

Alongside programme delivery, UmRio continues investing in becoming a stronger and more sustainable organisation. We have strengthened our monitoring and evaluation systems, deepened partnerships with schools and community organisations, and continued building the institutional foundations needed to deliver lasting impact for the thousands of young people we serve each year.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of our GlobalGiving supporters. Every donation helps create opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom - from improving educational outcomes and mental wellbeing to introducing young people to museums, national sporting competitions and cutting-edge technology. Thank you for believing in our mission and for making this progress possible.

At the start of 2026, UmRio continues to expand its reach across Greater Rio de Janeiro. Our programmes currently operate in seven partner schools, delivering more than 70 hours each week of sport, learning and personal development opportunities for children and young people from underprivileged communities.

This year marks an important phase of growth. In the coming months, we will launch in an additional partner school, extending our work to a new community. We are also introducing two new initiatives: a Museum Learning programme, connecting students with art museums to strengthen creativity and critical thinking, and a Secondary School Entrance Exam preparation programme, helping students from low-income backgrounds access higher-quality public education and broaden their future opportunities.

Recent months have also brought important achievements and recognition. Our young rugby players took part in their first national competition, while our robotics team proudly finished second in the Brazilian National Robotics Championship. In addition, UmRio was honoured with an award at the 2025 BrazilFoundation Gala, recognising the impact of our work with young people in vulnerable communities.

Beyond our direct delivery, we are supporting local partner organisations to develop data collection systems to monitor the mental health impacts of periods of community violence, enabling earlier identification of risks and more effective support.

Early 2026 data continues to show positive trends in mental health, confidence and sense of belonging.

Thank you to our GlobalGiving supporters. Your generosity makes this progress possible and helps create safer, stronger futures for young people across Rio.