The 7th and 8th grade's VIA saves humanity from cold and hunger
Students during activity
The mission seemed nearly impossible: to save the Earth from a zombie attack. Minor detail: the air was contaminated and each team could move only if all the members were inside the same air bubble. To exterminate the zombies, the groups had to meet goals: find clues in the dense jungle, build shelters, prepare food, and take part in the cooking contest à la Top Chef. Reality or fiction? Neither, both, and a bit more: Values into Action (VIA).
The 7th and 8th grade's VIA took place between September 1st and 3rd at the Capivari-Monos Environmental Preservation Area (APA) in São Paulo. It brought together 57 students and 6 teachers in one of the project's most productive trips.
The "The Black Dog," "Chega!" (Enough!), "Chewbaccas," "GGF" and "Golden Chicken" teams alternated between free time and facing challenges during the days they stayed at the reserve, which was set up in 2001 and which preserves the original vegetation of the Atlantic rainforest.
A team prepares for the challenge
Aligned with the school's vision - Engage, Challenge, Support, Care and Prepare Students for Life, the Values into Action project puts forth challenges that are important in professional environments: "Companies have been reporting that there is a growing need for schools to increasingly train students in the so-called 21st century skills: communicating, collaborating, analytical thinking, problem-solving, finding and evaluating information, and creating and innovating," confirms Luciana Brandespim, VIA's coordinator.
Teachers Maxine Baines, Claudia Terra, Samuel Han and Luciana Brandespim, librarian Fernanda Caires, and Dean of Students Pauljames Bekanich accompanied and supervised the group of students. They were unanimous in stating that the extraordinary synergy between the teachers and students was essential for fully meeting the goals.
The Top Chef was the last and most difficult challenge
Top Chef VIA
The last challenge for the teams - and perhaps the most difficult - was to prepare a dish with ingredients (carrots, onions, peppers, apples, tomatoes, and some others) selected by the teachers and judges, who tested and chose the winner: an authentic émincés de légumes. Last but not least, due merit was given to the last place dish: the vegetarian sandwich with true natural flavor - the delicacy had fallen on the ground before being tasted by the judge.