Country : Brazil

Organization: Educarefoz Atendimento de Turismo Educativo Ltda

Year the initiative began: 2006

Project Website: www.educarefoz.com.br

If your organization is located in a country in Latin America or the Caribbean you can apply for funding provided by IDB/MIF (please see the IDB/Fomin section on the competition home page for more information):
Deseo postularme

Geotourism Challenge Addressed by Entrant:

Quality of benefit to residents for the destination

Organization size:

Small (1 to 100 employees)

Indicate sector in which you principally work:
Tourism-related business

Considering the value chain behind sustainable tourism projects, at which level does your work have considerable impact (please choose all the categories that apply):

• Consumers (travelers)
• Indigenous community groups
• Natural and cultural attractions

Primary field of activity:

• Education

Does your innovation focus on these fields (select all that apply):

• Professionalization, best practices and sustainable tourism project certification

What is the goal of your innovation? Please describe in one sentence the kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.

To promote professional insertion, permanence and ascend for low income young in tourism sector through self development of skills.

Please write an overview of your project. Include how your approach supports or embodies geotourism or destination stewardship. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the map located on the competition homepage.

Foz do Iguaçu city is in the border between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. This unique characteristic causes social issues as informal jobs, prostitution and drug traffic. As the tourism is the base of local economy its effects are responsible for involving the whole community and contributing to reduce such social problems.
Thereby, the Young Track – Tourism and Social Inclusion project was embraced in 2006 as an answer to two challenges: the need of social and professional insertion of youngs from low income families, more vulnerable to the region issues; and the need of a sustainable development for tourism in Foz do Iguaçu. The project shapes engaged and autonomous citizens, capable of manage their own carrier in the tourism sector. This outcome was assured thanks to a rigid selection, that picks the most committed young, and to a wide education, possible due to a differentiated training.
The project involves the touristic trade, strengthening the productive chain as it awakes it to the social-environmental responsibility and it makes available a number of committed and excellent professionals, therefore assuring tourist satisfaction. This equation promotes quality of life in the community, for its active participation and consequent the sustainability of the touristic attraction.

Explain in detail why your approach is innovative.

Tourism interfaces: tourists, community, natural and cultural attraction, governance and companies of the sector are covered due to systemic planning that allies the need of companies in paying back society with the urgency to address the problems of the Tri-National Region, resulting in the full education of young committed to quality and sustainability of the destination.
The young’s’ education is based in three modules: Sustainable development of tourism, Excellence in Services and Life and Carrier Plan. At the conclusion of each the young develop projects to put in practice the skills worked along the phases. The practice activities are dedicated to workshops, conception and implementation of projects, learning sessions in labs in areas of Food and Beverages, Lodging and Travel and Tourism, activities in tourism companies, as well as the time dedicated to the use of information technology and theater workshops.
Such applied methodology contemplates the self-development of skills that mobilizes, develop and apply knowledge, skills and attitudes in the accomplishment of tasks and in the solution of problems to generate expected outcomes. However, the selection of beneficiaries aligns the young profiles to the tourism market.

What is the origin of your innovation? Tell the Changemakers and media communities what prompted you to start this initiative.

As we saw so encouraging and concretes outcomes in applying the methodology that have as pedagogic proposal the self development of skills and that adopt as assumptions the definition of skills based in professional profiles and other demands to live in society, the search of interdisciplinary, transversal skills, looking for a citizen-professional, the pedagogy of example, the incorporation of assumptions of the project methodology, flexibility in curricular structures and diversification of strategies, thematic learning and educational evaluation. The methodology is also based on Delors Report, organized by Unesco (1990) that present the four pillars that could be considered as four wide competences to be developed in young education nowadays: learn to learn, learn to do, learn to be and learn to live together.
The activities for the young are divided in three modules. In the first one they participate in workshops focused in sustained development of tourism, which aims to educate them to act properly in tourism development, recognizing its negatives impacts and its potential contribution to the local sustainable development. In the second module, Excellence in Services Project, young people opt among three specific areas - Food and Beverages; Travel and Tourism and Lodging - to focus their education and insertion. It aims to prepare them to assume a posture of constant search for excellence in service quality, as priority condition to insert and continue in the tourism market. The last module, My Life and My Carrier, aims to prepare young to manage their personal and professional processes. For the conclusion, they write their Carriers and Life Plan, where they define goals and strategies for the next three years of their lives.
The interest and involvement of Young in the educational process and in the development of projects that aim to solve community’s problems, to tackle needs of their schools, to solve curiosities, to put a collective action in practice, to advertise ideas and to promote events. However this experience characterizes by young that take decisions and live the results of their decisions, assume commitments, work in teams, live the role of coordinator, participate as subject in transforming their school, learn in a relevant way, make possible new relationships and increase their knowledge. The outcomes are these young being hired and growing professionally in companies in the tourism sector.
The provided transformation in Young lives reflects positively in their family and community relations. This encouragement to participation prompts actions and decision making processes in society on the directions of local sustainable tourism. And more people take responsibility for high quality attractions and for the local population quality of life.

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.

SILVANA GOMES
Graduated in Tourism and Hostelling in UNIOESTE-PR and specialist in Education and Environmental Management, she is pedagogic coordinator of the Young Track – Tourism and Social Inclusion project; she is consultant for Planning of Public Use in Conservation Units. She acted and acts as facilitator of Environmental Education workshop and transversal subjects: environment, tourism as tool to value municipalities, citizenship, ethics and entrepreneurship focused in different audiences: young apprentices, teachers, students of professionalizing courses and collaborators of tourism companies. She has already developed Environmental educative programs in Conservation Units for neighboring communities.

Describe some unique tourist experiences that your approach provides. Be specific; give illustrative examples.

The process of productive restructuration, result of a structural crisis of capitalism, demands a new worker profile. It requires a citizen, active, autonomous, capable of choosing their tracks. The Young Track project goes beyond the learning guidelines based on mastering knowledge as it promotes educative spaces that create opportunities to develop skills to make this person able to act as a citizen and professional in any circumstances in their lives.
By using the teaching methodology based in projects, these young develop the skill of decision making, experience the role of coordinator, assume commitments with people and institutions, work in teams, experience the results of their decisions, participate as subjects in transformations, learn in a relevant way and increase their knowledge.
The experience in planning and implementing projects by young starts by questioning reality, having a critic and humane look, promoting in them the exercise of diagnosing and solving problems. Since 2006 there were 100 projects developed in social and environmental topics, focused in sustainable development of tourism. In the specific professional area there were 20 projects developed and regarding the personal projects - carriers and life plans – there were, till now, 480 projects developed.

What types of partnerships or professional development would be most beneficial in spreading your innovation?

Now, the integration of this Tri-National Region and the sustainable development of Iguassu destination are defined by isolated actions of few institutions. Applying the innovative methodology of Young Track project, in a wide and massive way, assuring its replication to formal schools, class entities and social groups of the Tri-National Region, would promote the integration of actions and people involved with the region development and future. That would result in a more sustainable development of Iguassu destinations and its region, with a participative and direct involvement of the community in social transformation.

Describe the degree of success you have had to date. How do you measure, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the impact on sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How has it transformed or contributed to the power of place or demonstrated the sustainability of tourism? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?

The project provides work and income aiming for social inclusion and helps to reduce this young’s vulnerability, transforming them in worthy citizens. As an indirect result these young, when contracted or receiving some sort of income for their work, are able to pay taxes, therefore contributing to the formal economy and to the development of the municipality and the country. It is important to notice that many of these young assume responsibility for the family earnings, improving the whole family’s quality of life.
These young do not enter the crime sector, therefore they will not represent a risk for society and they will leave a condition of vulnerability that nowadays rises the death statistics.
Another important gain is in the quality of services provided in the tourism sector due to the shaping of committed professionals that are aware and that disseminate good practices and sustainability practices for the tourism activity. It is important to notice that the development of social-environmental projects by young that transform the reality of communities where they live.

In what ways are local residents actively involved in your work, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?

This project targets as beneficiaries young people from low income families, providing them opportunities to have an education focused in a citizen professional. Then, this young can identify points of improvement in their living spaces and can commit to improve them. By creating projects focused in their community the young aim to solve social and environmental issues. That causes community mobilization and resulting changes in people that start to look with more attention to their environment and they also start to take new knowledge to their relationship network.

How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?

As the young educated in Young Track Project enter in tourism companies they promote changes in the organization climate, contributing to understand the commitment and responsibility of the professional with the visitor. That improves the quality of the services provided in the tourism attraction and the visitor satisfaction. Another important aspect in this process is the young perception that the tourist is not only a landscape appreciator and that the tourist is someone looking for interactive experiences with the place and the community to strengthen their conscience what is obtained from acquiring new knowledge and deepening their philosophical understanding and their knowledge on the region.

Describe how your work helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues.

During the educative process the young participate in workshops in Sustainable Development of Tourism Projects and, supported by workshops in Natural and Cultural Heritage, they plan and execute projects that effectively transform the environment where they live taking concepts from the ethic of care to their communities.
These young entered the tourism market as apt and conscious professionals for preserving and conserving natural, cultural and historic heritage. They are also motivated to diagnose and promote environmental actions in companies related to tourists. And it also allows their direct participation in tourism economy.

How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.

The financial resources to maintain the management team, the teachers and supplies for the workshops come from Fundação Banco do Brasil, via Tourism Ministry. Young transport and food expenses as well as the facilities (labs and classrooms) are provided by Fundação Parque Tecnologico Itaipu. The spaces and facilities to practice classes and technical visits are provided by the touristic trade. The project has other partners that are contacted directly by the young for the implementation of their proposed projects.
- Annual Budget: R$ 335.000,00
- Annual Generated Income: The Project does not have income.
- Número de colaboradores: 05 full time collaborators and 25 teachers.

Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? Is there a potential demand for your innovation?

The project is not sustainable in the way it is presently, as the course is totally dedicated to low income beneficiaries. Therefore it is needed external resources to its maintenance. Since its first edition the projects looks for its sustainability, what was not possible until now, as local supporters are very instable in granting resources. An alternative that the project managers foresee as the most viable is to designate part of the openings for paying students and to look for local supporters to low income beneficiaries

What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?

The practice workshops in excellence in services need real space to its development. For that there are partnerships with companies from the trade. A barrier in this context is the availability of spaces to fit the project schedule, as due to commercial demands they are not always available. Another important barrier is to assure the transport and food for the young during the presence phase of the project.
The beneficiaries’ age group is from 16 to 24 years. They are young that are studying or graduated from high school and come from low income families, therefore they need to perform a paid professional activity. However when they start in the project they awake to look for a job, what usually happens before the end of the presence phase, what causes evasion and a lack in their education process. In the phase of experience and professional insertion another barrier is their age as in some areas it is mandatory to be older than 18 and, also, the boys at this age are in compulsory military enlistment age.

What is your plan to expand or further develop your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.

The project needs extra energy to be extended to different publics. We plan to create a continuous educative proposition based in the format of “Young Track”, to serve professional of the tourism sector in different areas, making the pedagogic proposal available for the self development of skill and the perfectioning of tourism professionals. Another wish we have is to take this methodology to the formal schools.

Contact Information
MRS Silvana Gomes
Diretora Presidente
Educarefoz Atendimento de Turismo Educativo Ltda
Av. Tancredo Neves, 6731 – Parque Tecnológico de Itaipu
silvanagomes@educarefoz.com.br