Excursions in Rio

Recycle Center Field Trip

On September 12^th CIEE Rio students and staff went on green and sustainable visit at Institute Doe Seu Lixo in the port area of Rio de Janeiro.Founded byBrazilian actress Isabel Fillardis and her husband Julio Cesar Santos, the organization works to reduce environmental impact and to seek solutions to the great problem of inadequate management and disposal of solid waste in the city of Rio de Janeiro. It was an interesting afternoon for CIEE students and staff to learn how the Institute operate and create opportunities for   waste collectors in the city by increasing working conditions for cooperatives and the inclusion of waste pickers cooperatives in reverse logistics and making recycling a sustainable business

CIEE students visit Rio de Janeiro´s first bilingual public high school

In the far suburbs of Rio de Janeiro in the lower working class neighborhood of Nova Iguaçu there has sprouted an innovative concept, a bilingual public high school. CIEP 117 Carlos Drummond de Andrade is a public high school that offers Mathamatics and Geography courses in English. Although it´s public it is not easy to get into. About 10% of those that apply are accepted. CIEE staff Adams Souza reached out to school principal, Eduardo Vasconcellos,  to schedule a visit for our students. We wanted to learn about the school and meet the students. We were very well received. After a tour of the facilities our CIEE students engaged in discussions in both English and Portuguese with several different classes at CIEP 117. It was an amazing experience getting know these impressive students and learning about the challenges and potential solutions to improving public education in Brazil. 

A Hike up Cabritos Mountain

In September CIEE Rio offered students an optional guided hike up Cabritos Mountain. Thankfully, almost all of students opted to take the hike because it was amazing. Cabritos Mountain is a large round mountain that lies in between Copacabana, Ipanema, Lagoa and Botafogo. The tour guide co-op group called Tabritur is the only outfit that offers this particular climb. We had 7 local guides to show us the way and they were a lot of fun. The word Cabritos means goat in Portuguese and often the steep trail seemed better fit for goats. But we made it and it was well worth it to experience the 360 degree view in the heart of the most beautiful city in the world. After the hike Tabatur had a Feijoada lunch prepared for our hungry and tired students to cap off an unforgettable day.

On Going Orientation

About two months into the semester program CIEE Rio de Janeiro facilitates what we call the on going orientation. The idea is to have a conversation about the depths in which culture plays in our daily lives while abroad. It´s a chance for our students to get together on Copacabana Beach and have a heart to heart discussion about culture, expectations versus realities, goals and story sharing. Oh, and we precede the conversation with a Tai Chi lesson on the beach to get us relaxed.

From our staff, until next post...