EntreRedes em Foco is an initiative developed by Itaú Social that offers a training course and financial support to strengthen networks of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the same municipality. The program aims to strengthen networks that work to reduce educational inequalities for children and adolescents. It also seeks to encourage strategic partnerships to boost projects and initiatives that promote sustainable social transformation. In this way, each participating network has the opportunity to draw up a participatory social diagnosis and an action plan aimed at understanding and tackling the specific educational challenges in their communities.
The first cycle of the program (2021/2022) was “Networked Experiences”, which aimed to promote collective work between civil society organizations to tackle educational challenges such as school dropout during the pandemic. In the context of this project, seven institutions in Niterói (RJ) joined forces to map local CSOs that offer after-school activities. This mapping sought to listen to the organizations and take advantage of their experiences to contribute to municipal public education policies.
Based on the experiences and lessons learned in the “Network Experiences” project, three networks across the country have advanced to the second cycle of the program (2023-2025) and will receive technical and financial support to implement the action plan developed in the previous cycle.
The Niterói institutions currently taking part in the EntreRedes project are Rede Quimera, Projeto Grael, Bem TV – Educação e Comunicação, Projeto Avante and the JCA Institute. These organizations play key roles in strengthening and promoting educational actions that contribute to the development of local communities. Through dialogue, knowledge sharing and collaborative practices, the EntreRedes program aims to tackle educational challenges and seek effective solutions for the city.
