Sponsored by Seagems, the initiative held in Rio das Ostras focuses this year on the theme “What will tomorrow be like? Let anyone who can, answer…” and involved the participation of 585 students from 11 schools.
On September 11th, the launch of the book from the 5th edition of the Prêmio Literário do Ensino Fundamental (Elementary School Literary Award) will take place in Rio das Ostras (RJ), with this year’s theme being the reflection “What will tomorrow be like? Let anyone who can, answer…”. The project, sponsored by Seagems, a Brazilian company specializing in subsea engineering solutions, involved 585 students from 11 schools.
The book is a collection of works produced by students from the 6th to the 9th grade, reflecting the diversity of thoughts, experiences, and dreams of the young writers from Rio das Ostras. Each page reveals the talent and imagination of the students, who were guided and supported throughout the entire writing and editing process. The texts were created in groups of up to three students, fostering collaboration, creativity, and optimism through methodologies like Design Thinking.
The Award, made possible by the Federal Law for Cultural Incentives – Rouanet Law, with the conceptualization by Alternativa Cultura and sponsorship by Seagems, promotes reading and creative writing as tools for developing essential skills for academic and professional success. The texts produced address themes such as comprehension and interpretation of texts, written expression, critical and reflective thinking, and empathy and respect for diversity, forming autonomous readers with a passion for literature.
“We are honored to be part of yet another edition of the project, which has a significant impact on these young people’s lives. It’s gratifying to follow each edition and see that the theme always adds to classroom discussions. Talking about prejudice, the environment, love, and the future through literature enriches their perspective. Recognizing literature as a powerful medium for expression and knowledge construction contributes to the formation of conscious citizens,” says Flora Bastos, spokesperson for Seagems do Bem.
Graça Gomes, Director of Alternativa Cultura and the project’s conceptualizer and general director, shares this enthusiasm: “By encouraging reflection on the future, we prepare our youth to be protagonists of their stories and responsible for the world around them. This year’s theme is also a result of our perception of life, the moment we are in, and as a way to provoke debate among our youth and their teachers on topics we consider fundamental today for the projection of the future.”
The project, held for the first time in the municipality of Rio das Ostras, saw participation from 11 schools in the Municipal Education Network. Curators Alex Andrade and Vicente Couto selected the 40 best texts produced this year based on criteria involving narrative elements, cohesion and coherence, theme development, and creativity.
“Writing and reading are incredibly enriching activities for human development. It is because we believe in the power of education combined with culture, and consequently in reading and creativity, that Seagems has been sponsoring the Elementary School Literary Award for five years. The continuity of this initiative reinforces our commitment to actions that bring a positive impact to society. The Award provides this contribution through culture combined with education,” concludes Flora Bastos.
The awards ceremony will take place on September 11th at 2:00 PM at the Rio das Ostras Municipal Theater, featuring a special performance by the Pérolas em Canto Choir from the Music and Education project. The 100 student authors of the selected texts will receive medals, award certificates, and copies of the book. The school with the highest number of selected texts will also be rewarded with a trip to the Golden Lion Tamarin Park.
Seagems do Bem
Seagems do Bem is a permanent corporate governance body created to address social and environmental issues. The group consists of volunteer employees who dedicate part of their time to developing internal awareness and donation campaigns, as well as monitoring incentive law projects supported by the company. The idea emerged from the company’s constant challenge to generate internal and external stimulation for social transformation, emphasizing impartiality and management transparency.
