Sustainability has become a trend topic in the recent years – and it seems like its importance will only increase. Every day, governments, companies and people start realizing their behaviors can directly impact our world, and the consequences of such impacts may rebound positively or negatively in our daily life. As a result of this recent awareness, a huge wave of initiatives focused in optimizing old technics and creating new ways to do things is now taking place, especially here in Brazil. In a country like ours, with a rich biodiversity, the need for sustainable alternatives is becoming more and more evident every day.
Our sustainability program aims to provide the participants a chance to see how the subject is being treated in a developing country. Brazilians are rising to meet environmental challenges through planned cites, indigenous‐led projects, sustainable harvesting of natural resources, and forward thinking programs to improve livelihoods. Join us as we explore Brazilian approaches to environmental issues in urban neighborhoods and delicate ecosystems alike. We will visit areas where human rights and sustainability conflicts arise, study how sustainable companies are innovating their business, speak with representatives from socially and environmentally sustainable organizations, interact with indigenous communities on the front lines of the sustainability battle, and explore possibilities for the future in Brazil and beyond.
SUGGESTED CITIES
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
SÃO PAULO
With a population of 20 million people, São Paulo is known for its fast pace. The city is not only an economical center but also a cultural reference and example of cosmopolitism. Indeed, the city is a melting pot, having a significant number of inhabitants from several nationalities - and this diversity can be seen mixed up while walking in any corner of this concrete jungle.
In the recent years, the metropolis has been developing its infrastructure towards a more sustainable project, with the goal of providing a better life quality to its inhabitants and make a better use of its resources. From the reform of city parks, to the creation of bike lanes around the metropolis, São Paulo is now passing through a developing process that converts the city into a promising project in the future.
BRASÍLIA
Brasília is the federal capital of Brazil, and seat of government of the Federal District. The city was planned and developed by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer, in 1956, in order to move the capital from Rio de Janeiro to a more central location. Brasília’s design divides it into numbered blocks as well as sectors for specified activities, such as the Hotel Sector, the Banking Sector and the Embassy Sector. The city was chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its modernist architecture and uniquely artistic urban planning.
Due to its political position, the city hosts many research institutes and governmental organizations. Brasilia is also home to several NGO’s main offices, as well as it’s the headquarter of the UN in Brazil. For that, the capital is a great place to study closer the political aspect of the sustainability topic and how the themes within this topic take place in the bureaucratic scope.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
ARRIVAL: São Paulo International Airport - Transfer to the Hotel - Welcome to Brazil! For now on, relax and let us take care of everything to make sure you'll have an amazing experience.
- HISTORICAL CITY TOUR - Since the 60s, São Paulo is the main economic center of Brazil. With a metropolitan population of nearly 20 million inhabitants, São Paulo is the largest city in South America.
Day 1 - Sunday
Day 2 - Monday
Day 3 - Tuesday
Day 4 - Wednesday
- HOTEL CHECK-OUT / TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT
- FLIGHT TO BRASÍLIA (DF)/Hotel Check-in
- BRASILIA CITY TOUR: Example of planned city, Brasília replaced Rio de Janeiro as Brazil’s center of government in 1960 under the visionary leadership of President Juscelino Kubitschek, architect Oscar Niemeyer, urban planner Lucio Costa and landscape architect Burle Marx.
Is this itinerary too short or too long? We are open to adjust it in order to fit your needs!
Day 8 - Sunday
Day 5 - Thursday
- VISIT TO THE MINISTERIO DAS CIDADES – The cities ministry chamber is an office under the federal government that aims to combat social inequalities, transforming cities into more humane spaces, expanding the popula7on's access to housing, sanitation and transport.
- VISIT TO EMBRAPA - The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) is a state-owned research corporation. Their mission is to "develop research, development and innovation solutions for the sustainability of agriculture, for the benefit of Brazilian society".
- HOTEL CHECK-OUT / TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT
- FLIGHT TO SANTARÉM (PA)/Hotel Check-in
- VISIT AND LECTURE TO UFOPA (FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF WEST PARA) – Human Rights and Sustaintability: Understanding the Brazilian Case
- TREKKING IN THE FOREST LED BY LOCAL GUIDES - Both Santarém and Alter do Chão provide easy access to the Floresta Nacional (FLONA) do Tapajós, a beautiful national forest where tourists can hike, canoe, and stay the night with rubber-tapper families.
- SWIM AND EXPLORE ALTER DO CHÃO BEACH - Alter do Chão is a cool little town 35km away from Santarém with white-sand river beaches and a laid-back backpacker vibe.
‐ TRANSFER TO THE FLUVIAL TERMINAL AND BEGINNING OF THE BOAT TRIP THROUGH TAPAJÓS AND ARAPIUNS RIVERS.
- DISCOVERING A MINING OPERATION IN THE AMAZON - The practice of mining in rainforests is a polemic subject due to the environmental impacts that such an activity might result. Nevertheless, there are some mining companies working towards the change of this scenario, developing more sustainable techniques.
Day 7 - Saturday
Day 10 - Tuesday
- Free Time / Hotel Check-out
- Transfer to the Airport
RETURN FLIGHT - Tchau! We hope to see you again soon! If you loved this experience as much as we did, you'll probably understand the meaning of the portuguese word "Saudade".
Day 9 - Monday
- ARRIVAL BACK IN SANTARÉM/ HISTORICAL CITY TOUR - Santarém has two distinct personalities. On one hand, it's a reasonably pleasant city, with river breezes and a wide waterfront promenade. On the other hand, it's also a port town and for it hosts an odd mix of port workers, businessmen, ship crews and hangers-on.
- VISIT TO THE NATIONAL
INDIGENOUS FOUNDATION (FUNAI) OFFICE IN SANTARÉM – FUNAI is a Brazilian government body that establishes and carries out policies relating to indigenous peoples. FUNAI is responsible for mapping out and protecting lands traditionally inhabited and used by these communities.
PRICING
CONTACT
SAFETY
Unlike other countries, most Brazilian universities do not offer accommodation on campus for students. Therefore, Campus Brasil has partnerships with several housing providers in order to provide the best option according to your students needs and the program style. We will work with you to provide high quality accommodations where you feel comfortable and at home.
Suggested accommodation for this program: 3-star hotels
- LECTURE AT A UNIVERSITY – Designing Sustainable Cities
- VISIT TO A SUSTAINABLE COMPANIE – Besides respecting the environment, corporate sustainability has the ability to change positively the image of a company with consumers. With the increase of environmental problems, more and more consumers are seeking goods and services from sustainable enterprises.
- LECTURE AT THE CITY HALL – Putting Sustainable Plans Into Action: Dealing With the Challenges of a Big Metropolis
- VISIT TO ARTEMISIA - ARTEMISIA is a nonprofit organization, pioneer in the dissemination and promotion of social impact business in Brazil. They seek to inspire, empower and enhance talents and entrepreneurs to create a new generation of businesses that break with previous standards and (re)signify the true role that business can play in building a country with equal opportunities for all.
Day 6 - Friday
Here are some suggestions of what you could add...
- CASE COMPETITION: In this activity participants will be divided into teams and will be given a challenge, according to the central theme of exchange program. The group with the best performance in the accomplishment of the task will receive an award. The case competition can be also realized with the participation of Brazilians that study or work in the sector at issue.
- SERVICE-LEARNING: Provides opportunities where students can apply their valuable research + classroom knowledge to contribute to advancing an organizations' goals, positively affecting change in the community.
WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?
The program is intended for undegrad and graduated students from the following areas: Sustainability, Archtecture, Environmental Engineering and any related area. Can't your students speak Portuguese? That's not a problem! Our program is totally given in English, so there's no need to have any previous knowledge of our native language. Nonetheless, by the end of the trip you should be able to use a few useful words.
Knowing that details make all the difference to the success of a program’s itinerary and bearing in mind that Brazil is a country of continental dimensions, Campus Brasil always works with the best mobility options, with transportation providers that offer flexibility and comfort to ensure that your group is always on time, on schedule and on point for the proposed activities. Our coordination is here to facilitate the logistics and also provide learning through Brazilian landscapes.
ACADEMICS
- LECTURES: The most traditional way of learning. Campus Brasil works with top-notch universities (see some of them here) in order to provide the best content to the students.
All lectures are held in English.
- ORGANIZATION VISITS: We don't want your students to spend the entire visit inside a classroom when there is a whole new world to discover outside it. The organization visits can vary from a dialogue with a senior manager, director or CEO to a half-day visit including a tour of the organization facilities. The most important part of any organization visit is that your students will be free to ask any question they want. Campus Brasil will send more information about the company to be visited including articles, videos, etc, so everybody can prepare questions.
Your students' safety is an absolute top priority. We live and work in Brazil and know how to safely navigate this vibrant country we call home. Campus Brasil offers the following safety measures:
-
Pre-departure orientation - As soon as the program is confirmed, we send a document with all the tips and necessary information regarding safety, in addition to logistics and other considerations.
-
Arrival orientation - On the first day we gather for a session with the group to explain the dos and don'ts while in Brazil;
-
Housing - We select accommodations in safe neighborhoods where your students will be comfortable;
-
Local coordinators - We provide bilingual coordinators that accompanies the group 24/7. That means they go out with the students in the evening, to make sure everybody is safe and having a great time. They also stay at the same hotel the group will be staying, so they are available for any emergency. For any group with more than 12 students, Campus Brasil provides 2 coordinators;
-
Emergency number - Campus Brasil has a telephone number available 24/7;
-
Safety & Crisis Management - This document is a plan that contains all for our procedures to predict risks and respond to a variety of emergency situations.
Click here and get to know more about pricing...
You can write to info@campusbrasil.org, call us at +55 11 2679-0555. If you prefer, you can also fill out the following form:
Our programs combine organization visits, lectures at local universities and cultural activities. This combination aims to involve your students and make them have a great academic experience in Brazil. Get to know more about ways they will learn:
"Campus Brasil is my favorite educational travel agency in the world, and I have worked with many. In addition to arranging top-notch company visits, business lectures and cultural activities, they also took our students to social events in the evenings. At the end of each trip, my students have not only learned how business in Brazil functions, they also go home having made close friends with the people from Campus Brasil. Campus Brasil has made planning business-oriented study abroad trips so easy that I am using them for three trips this year."
Christine Gozdziak
Assistant Dean of Business International Programs at the University of Illinois
SANTARÉM
Old village of Indians Tapajos, Santarem is now the third largest city in the state of Pará. Despite the development, it has not lost the customs and traditions thanks to the privileged location. - at the confluence of the Tapajós and Amazon rivers. All the biodiversity of the Amazon can be found around the city. Areas of tropical forest, flooded forest and savanna, and the meeting of the blue waters of Tapajós River with the muddy waters of the Amazon: the area is blessed with beautiful views.
Preserving the heritage of the native culture and ensuring the balanced interaction between indigenous customs and contemporary advances, the city is a great example of how sustainability is not only a matter of environment but also social impact.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
Benjamin Franklin