Co-CEO of the company, Ivan Pereira, gave an interview to “Power360” and defended the model as a viable alternative to improve teaching in the country
PPPs (public-private partnerships) focused on basic education have gained strength in Brazil in recent years, and 2024 has marked a new record in number of structured projects. Until recently restricted to the construction and maintenance of school buildings, these initiatives now open to new models. A, a reference in socio -emotional education, is one of the companies that saw in this advance an opportunity to expand their impact.
“Today, most educational PPPs deals only with infrastructure. But we believe it is time to go beyond: to face not only the structural deficit, but the learning deficit,” states Ivan Pereira, Co-CEO of Mind Lab, in an interview with Poder360.
Created in 1994, the company is based on its own methodology that uses reasoning games and metacognitive strategies to develop skills such as empathy, decision making, persistence and self -awareness. With a presence in more than 10,000 public and private schools and about 220,000 graduated teachers, Mind Lab now wants to integrate this model with long -term contracts with states and municipalities, within the logic of PPPs.
More than bricks and cement
In a traditional PPP, the public entity hires private initiative to build, maintain and operate school units for up to 35 years. The contract encompasses physical infrastructure – such as works, climateization, security and lunch – with fixed monthly payment, without involving pedagogical management.
“Mind Lab does not replace the teacher, nor does it interfere with the content. What we offer is an evidence -based pedagogical complement, in total alignment with the common curriculum national base”, explains Pereira.
This model proposes an integrated performance: while the concessionaire takes care of the building, Mind Lab enters the continuing education of teachers and the provision of teaching materials and games. The goal is to create more complete and lasting learning environments – supporting the development of cognitive, emotional and social skills.
Evidence and impact
The proposal is not new, but gained robustness. According to Pereira, different research over the years has demonstrated that the company’s methodology has a direct impact on both academic performance and school life. A study by the Inter -American Development Bank (IDB), in partnership with Insper and the Ayrton Senna Institute, showed significant improvements in logical reasoning, metacognition and performance in mathematics and Portuguese. In 2023, schools that applied the Menteinovator program became an average growth of 0.8 points in IDEB – 4 times above the national average.
Teacher training as a central axis
To apply the program, teachers undergo continuous and experiential training. Training begins with the practical experience of games, includes face -to -face and online workshops, and is accompanied by pedagogical mentoring, technical visits and continuous technical support.
“Teacher formation is the heart of our work. It not only applies the content, but mediates reflections that help the student to transfer what he has learned to his life,” says Pereira.
Financing and expansion
Although the cost of implementation varies according to network size, number of students and contract duration, Mind Lab states that the model is scalable and economically viable – especially in medium and long term contracts. According to the company, the scope includes a game laboratory with more than 500 items, materials for teachers and students, and the entire structure of training and technical follow -up.
Today, Mind Lab operates in 17 states and has reached more than 8 million people with work qualification programs. The goal now is to consolidate its position as an impact social infrastructure platform, expanding its performance to new stages of education, such as high school and EJA (Youth and Adult Education).
Resistance and public debate
Pereira acknowledges that there is still fear around educational PPPs, especially regarding the possibility of privatization of public education. But it shakes firmly: “Schools remain public. The state maintains pedagogical and contractual control. What is outsourced is the operation of infrastructure, not teaching.”
Mind Lab’s proposal, according to him, is to add – not replace. “We want to expand the range of PPPs beyond cement. Transforming the physical space is necessary, but transforming the emotional and relational environment is what really changes school.”
With the growing adhesion of municipalities and states to the model, the company expects the coming years to consolidate a new stage of public-private partnerships in Brazilian education: one that combines administrative efficiency with real pedagogical impact.
