Returning to the classroom after years away from studying may seem like a distant challenge for many workers.
In Ribeirão Preto, however, this reality has changed with a project that offers the opportunity to resume school training and expand professional perspectives.
Fresh start in the classroom
As the country celebrates School Day on March 15, the initiative takes on even more meaning by encouraging adults to resume a path often interrupted by the need to work early.
The schooling project, developed by the Multiplique o Bem project – a hub for solidarity actions run by the company Multiplan – in two shopping malls in the city, offers employees, store owners and their families the opportunity to complete their secondary education, free of charge.
Created in 2024, the program has already enrolled more than 100 people in the region and helped more than 30 students complete important stages of their training.
Dream realization
For many students, the decision to return to school represents the realization of an old dream. At 48 years old, Eskel Cristina de Paula, administrative manager of a restaurant in RibeirãoShopping, found the project the chance to change her trajectory. “When the possibility of studying at the mall came up, I realized it was something I couldn’t pass up. At first it was challenging to juggle everything, but the support from the teachers made all the difference,” he says.
The resumption of academic life had direct impacts on his trajectory. After completing his schooling, Eskel took the Enem and gained a place in the . “The study gave me back my confidence. Today I feel more prepared to take on greater responsibilities and think about the future with more confidence”, she says.
Stories like hers are also repeated at ShoppingSantaÚrsula. Born in Porto Velho (RO), Randerson Acosta Rosa arrived in Ribeirão Preto in 2024 and found the project the opportunity to complete the projects.
“I tried to study alone, but I couldn’t. This support was fundamental”, says Randerson, who after completing it started a technical course in private security management. “Just seeing the certificate in hand and putting on my resume that I have completed high school is a dream come true,” he adds.
Classes take place within the enterprises themselves, with specialized teachers, free teaching material and preparation for exams such as Encceja (National Examination for Certification of Skills for Young People and Adults) and Enem.
The pedagogical coordinator of the project in Ribeirão Preto, Silvana Mussalim, explains that the proposal goes beyond school certification. “These students often had to interrupt their studies to work or take care of their families. Resuming this path represents not only an academic achievement, but also a personal one.”
