This is a social inclusion project for the development of the citzenship. It is intended to increase the consciousness about the preservation of the coastal zone and to increase awareness of the value of traditional local culture and it is a pioneer project in the Brazilian coast. Sixteen groups of children in coursing the fourth and fifth grades from twelve schools in the Garopaba municipality, participate in the coastal monitoring.
Through practical and fun activities the project are trying to foster the learning about the Coastal ecosystem, making children of the Public Education System of Garopaba aware of the many social and environmental problems that our planet faces. These are related global problems that impact marine pollution such as the unorganized ever developing tourism industry and the local communities that damage the coastal ecosystem. Our major goal is to contribute to the development of a critical mind and improved habits of environment preservation in the children in order to foster a sense of belonging, empowerment, citizenship and responsibility towards their community and environment.
In the Project field expeditions, the students have the opportunity to investigate the beach with a series of tools, including GPS, compasses, magnifying glasses, shovels, sieve meshes, rulers, buckets, trays, strings, measuring tape, pegs, level hose, and thermometer, much of which are unknown or seldom used by the students. These tools compose the Research Kit available to the students that facilitates the observation of the beach environment, the characteristics of the sand, and the present animals and vegetation, as well as the most common solid waste left by the users on the beaches and the ones that are transported by the ocean currents. In 2015, the project expanded its learning activities, by increasing a one field trip with the intention to watch and learn about the Write Whale on their nursing ground of Gamboa Beach.
By forging new partnerships, this project throughout the years is expanding its potential to positively impact the lives of children in the municipality, through transformative education that is critical and practical, in the context of how they live.
The Monitoramento Mirim Costeiro is also the project that has been responsible for organizing the local actions for the International Coastal Clean-Up since 2011, promoting the cleanup of the nine beaches monitored by the project in Garopaba. On the third Saturday of the month of September, every school is invited to participate in this action to conserve the municipals beaches.
Through the actions of the project Monitoramento Mirim Costeiro, Garopaba has already become a reference for other municipalities along the region's seashore who already are interested in develop the project their local educational system.
The involvement of schools and children in the care and preservation of their coastal zone has given the project 4 awards in its five years of existence: Lush Spring Prize 2017; Innovation and Creativity in Basic Education (Brazilian Ministry of Education and Culture) 2016; Latin America Green Award 2016; and Educational Merit Award from Garopaba City Council 2014.