The recognition highlights initiatives with proven social impact and the potential to be replicated in different communities across the country
Two projects developed by the Ramacrisna Institute, located in Betim, have been certified as Social Technology by the Banco do Brasil Foundation, one of the most prestigious national recognitions awarded to initiatives that promote social transformation through innovative methodologies, community participation, and concrete results. The Mala de Leitura and FabLab Ramacrisna projects were certified and are now part of the Banco do Brasil Foundation’s Social Technologies Network.
The certification is awarded as part of the Banco do Brasil Foundation Social Technology Award and recognizes projects that have a positive impact on the communities they serve, as well as the potential to be replicated in different regions. The network brings together solutions developed by organizations across the country and is considered the leading national platform for disseminating replicable social methodologies.
The Mala de Leitura project seeks to expand access to children’s literature through the donation of book collections organized into suitcases containing selected books, as well as the promotion of storytelling activities and training for educators. The initiative encourages the habit of reading from childhood and contributes to the educational and cultural development of children served in schools and social projects. In 2013, it was recognized as the Best Project to Encourage Reading in Brazil by the National Foundation for Children’s and Youth Literature. In 2018, it won, by popular vote, the Leitura do Bem contest, promoted by TV Alterosa, the Estado de Minas newspaper, and Livraria Leitura. Since the project’s inception, more than 64,000 people have benefited from the delivery of 162 suitcases.
FabLab Ramacrisna, meanwhile, functions as an innovation and technology lab focused on digital inclusion and the development of skills in areas such as robotics, 3D printing, programming, and maker culture. The project offers hands-on learning experiences and fosters creativity, critical thinking, and prepares children and young people for the challenges of the job market and contemporary society. Certified by the global FabLab network, a program of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), FabLab Ramacrisna is part of the group of 186 labs in Brazil and ranks among the top 10 in Minas Gerais, establishing itself as a benchmark for innovation and social inclusion. Over the past year, more than 300 people have participated in the workshops offered at FabLab.
For the vice president of the Ramacrisna Institute, Solange Bottaro, the certification represents recognition of work built collectively and focused on social transformation. “Receiving this certification reinforces that we are developing initiatives capable of generating real impact in people’s lives. It is an important acknowledgment of the rigor of the methodologies applied and the institute’s commitment to promoting education, inclusion, and opportunities,” she states.
The coordinator of FabLab Ramacrisna, Guilherme Nascimento, highlighted the excitement of seeing the project achieve this recognition. “It is very exciting to see the results of this project, which was created to bring children and young people closer to technology and innovation and which is now part of a national network of social technologies. This achievement shows that we are on the right track by offering knowledge and new possibilities to so many young people here in the community,” he emphasizes.
Social Technology certification strengthens the credibility of these initiatives and contributes to the dissemination of experiences that can be replicated by other organizations, expanding social impact and encouraging the development of new alternatives for promoting citizenship and human development, while also helping to encourage other organizations to replicate experiences focused on promoting citizenship, education, and sustainable human development.
