Environmental Education for Staff at the University of São Paulo, Brazil: Capillarity and Critical Environmental Education Put into Action

Abstract

This article addresses an experience report regarding an ongoing socio-environmental education program for 17,000 administrative staff members on the seven campuses of the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, from the critical and emancipatory perspective of environmental education. The program is being run by the superintendent of environmental management at USP. The objective of the program is to educate all USP staff about the environment; increase the inclusion of sustainability in university management; and encourage sustainable actions in the university. Capillary architecture, in which a group known as “people who learn by participating” (PAP; the acronym in Portuguese is used in its original form in this article because of its resonance) makes a commitment to mobilize other groups in their workplace through theoretical and practical courses, was used to ensure that all staff members could be reached. The initial group (PAP-1) is responsible for developing the political-pedagogical project and preparing, encouraging, and mentoring PAP-2 leaders. Subsequently, this group will offer courses in their workplaces to PAP-3 (estimated staff of 4,590), who will involve other university students (PAP-4), totaling 17,000 people at various levels. Some of the preliminary program elements were: (i) ten planning meetings with experts (PAP-1) to improve the project and its strategies; (ii) presentation and approval of the program by the university authorities; (iii) selection of socio-environmental leadership groups on the campuses; (iv) 22 h of education for PAP-2 on environmental education, civilization crisis, climate change, culture industry and consumerism, public policies, and good practices at universities; and (v) dissemination of the initiative through USP media. The results of this unprecedented educational effort are expected to contribute to other institutions of higher education and to make the University of São Paulo a space of coherence and reference in the socio-environmental field.