Art and culture|News|Pedagogical support
Actions promote access to culture, stimulate creativity and reinforce essential educational values for children.
The Ramacrisna Institute’s Professor Arlindo Corrêa da Silva library celebrates its 51st anniversary in April with a special program that combines education, culture and entertainment. The month, which honors important dates such as International Children’s Book Day (02/04), Monteiro Lobato Day and National Children’s Book Day (18/04), World Book Day (23/04) and International Education Day (28/04), will be marked by activities that stimulate the pleasure of reading and learning in a playful and interactive way.
One of the highlights will be Cine Páginas em Cena, a movie theater set up inside the library to provide an unprecedented educational and cultural experience for the students of the Ramacrisna Educational Support Center (CAER). For many, this will be the first time they have seen a movie in the theater. As well as screenings of Moana 2, Mufasa and Elements, the experience will include popcorn and a special educational dynamic: to secure a ticket, the students will draw pictures depicting the library, which will be shown as part of the celebrations. The “popcorn voucher” will be earned by doing good deeds throughout the week, reinforcing values such as solidarity, empathy and cooperation.
On April 23, the library is promoting the Literary Blitz, where students, dressed as iconic literary characters, will tour the Institute and the surrounding community encouraging reading and lending books. This initiative reinforces the importance of democratic access to knowledge and the impact of literature on the formation of individuals. It’s worth remembering that the library is open to students, staff and the entire community. All they have to do is register and enjoy the vast collection on offer.
To further expand the children’s creative repertoire, on the 24th there will be a workshop called Bonecoteca, Bonecos Orgânicos, given by storyteller, ventriloquist, writer and puppeteer Nana Encanta. During the activity, students will make puppets using recyclable materials, encouraging creativity, sustainability and the reuse of resources.
The program will also include moments of enchantment and fun, such as the Além da Mágica magic show on the 29th and the Dia de Brincar: Histórias Pede Roça show on the 30th, promoted through the Culture Incentive Law. The activities not only provide entertainment, but also awaken the imagination and strengthen the children’s bond with art and literature.
According to the library’s coordinator, Cleide Moura, the programme was designed to go beyond the celebration: “Each activity has been designed to strengthen the children’s bond with books and education. Exposure to literature changes lives, broadens horizons and opens up new perspectives. Celebrating Book Month and the Library’s 51st anniversary with so many educational activities reinforces our mission to create readers and conscious citizens.
Ramacrisna Institute Vice President, Solange Bottaro, says the library plays an integral role in the history of the institution: “The library is named after our founder, Arlindo Corrêa da Silva, who was a journalist and a passionate lover of literature. He always believed in the power of education as a tool for social change. Celebrating our 51st anniversary means keeping this legacy alive and reaffirming our commitment to the education and future of children and young people”.
Check out the full schedule:
Cine Páginas em Cena
Date: April 8, 9 and 10
Literary Blitz
Date: April 23rd
Bonecoteca Workshop, Organic Puppets
Date: April 24
Magic Show
Date: April 29
Play Day Show
Date: April 30
Covering 194 m², the space has a rich collection of children’s and adult literature, with more than nine thousand books catalogued. In addition to arousing interest in reading among students enrolled at the Institute, the project also serves staff and the entire community of 13 municipalities in the Belo Horizonte metropolitan region.
On a regular basis, the library promotes storytelling activities, chats with authors, illustration workshops and cordel workshops. The Reading by Ear activities, when children recite poetry literally by their classmates’ ears, delight the children.
With a wide range of services accessible to the whole community, in 2024 the library lent out 1,352 books. As for the Mala de Leitura project, which takes the library outside the walls of the Institute, it distributed four kits filled with various books, resulting in 6,265 people being served in Betim and neighboring towns.
