From acai seed to game inspired by COP 30: state school projects are finalists in national award

Four schools from the Pará state network are among the finalists for the Criativos Escola + Natureza Award, promoted by the Alana Institute. The award recognizes projects that combine innovation and sustainability in transforming territories through their relationship with nature. Divided by biomes, the state schools of Pará and one school from Manaus were selected to represent the Amazon. The announcement of the six awarded projects, one for each Brazilian biome, will be made on June 5, in celebration of World Environment Day.

With the project "Thermal control plate of acai: regional identity and sustainability", the Salesian State School of Work, located in the Pedreira neighborhood in Belém, is among the finalists. The initiative seeks to propose sustainable solutions to improve the school environment and reduce electricity consumption in public units.

"The idea came from bioethics, where we observed how animals solve their problems. We noticed that termites and ants use plates made from plant waste to protect themselves from heat. Since our school faces this problem in some classrooms, the project arose from there. We are developing several compounds as binders, testing their effectiveness. The acai seed is the main material, and we are also using bioplastic made from cassava and corn starch. We found that corn performs better as a binder," explained the project's guiding teacher, Maurício Barata.

Student Emilly Souza, from the 3rd year of high school, considers the experience transformative. "I had never participated in an environmental education project. It was something new and very interesting because we started to see how things work differently. The project shows us that it is possible to do a lot with what we have available, helping the environment, reducing waste on the streets, and improving the temperature of the classrooms, which directly impacts students' learning and teachers' work."

In the Metropolitan Region of Belém (RMB), the Santa Tereza D'Ávila State High School, in Marituba, is a finalist with the project "Maker Trail – COP 30", which articulates sustainability, education, technology, inclusion, culture, and playfulness. The project includes a digital die, memory game, and an electric maze – all developed with knowledge of Educational Robotics. The proposal alludes to the 30th UN Conference on Climate Change (COP 30), which will be held in Belém in November 2025, and promotes a revival of the tourist spots of the capital of Pará, in addition to addressing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For student Clarisse Veras, from the 2nd year of high school, the classification is a source of pride. "Being among the finalists is a great achievement that reflects our commitment to sustainability and education as instruments of transformation. Regardless of the outcome, being here is already a victory that inspires us to continue making a difference for the future of the planet."

Student Maria Luyza, also from the 2nd year, shares the expectation of winning the national stage. "This achievement means a lot to me because it shows that we can reach wherever we want. I am very confident that we will win first place."

The guiding teacher Charles Ruan also highlighted the importance of recognition. "Being among the finalists is rewarding. Our initial goal was to do something for the school, and seeing how far we have come shows the power that students have to transform the community where they live. For me, this team is already a winner."

The other two finalists from the state network are from the municipality of Maracanã, in the Guamá Integration Region, in northeastern Pará: the Izidório Francisco de Souza State School and the Presidente Kennedy State School. Both are part of the "Blue Club: For Ocean Culture" project, aimed at promoting ocean culture and conserving marine ecosystems, combining environmental education and cultural appreciation.

In addition to the four finalist schools, five other Pará institutions received honorable mentions for their projects:

1. João Carlos Batista State School, in Ananindeua (RMB), with the project "Domestic economy and sustainability: soap production from mango peels";

2. Sister Laura de Martins Carvalho State School, in Canaã dos Carajás (Carajás Integration Region), with the project "Amazon in our hands: planting the future in Canaã dos Carajás";

3. Basílio de Carvalho State School, in Abaetetuba (Tocantins Integration Region), with the project "Stories of the Amazon: ecological balance under threat";

4. Full-Time State School Professor Dilma Cattete, in Belém, with the project "Cyclable Garden: energy in motion".

About the award – The Criativos Escola + Natureza Award is an initiative of the Alana Institute that seeks to recognize and inspire actions to transform reality, focusing on nature, led by children and adolescents from all over Brazil. The action is part of the Criativos program and the global Design for Change movement, originated in India and present in over 70 countries, impacting more than 2.2 million young people around the world.

One of the major highlights of this edition is that the winning projects will not only receive national recognition but will also participate in special activities during COP 30, which will take place in November in Belém. The students will also participate in an action with Greenpeace Brazil, reinforcing their environmental commitment.

This edition received 1,593 entries, involving more than 60,000 students and 5,300 educators from 738 Brazilian municipalities. With 119 projects submitted, Pará was the fourth state with the highest participation in the award and also one of the most recognized.