Denver, CO – Addressing the need for skilled workers in Latin America’s largest economy, the Alcoa Foundation has funded an initiative by the Brazil Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center of International Scholars and US-Brazil Connect to raise awareness of careers in mining/sustainability among Brazil’s top math and science students enrolled in programs of the Brazilian Confederation of Industry (CNI). 

The partners will launch the initiative with a workshop at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado on February 24 for the immediate benefit of 20 top Brazilian math and science students currently visiting Colorado.  Over the course of a year, the initiative will engage over 2,000 technical students in Brazil and more than 200 participants from the US.

US-Brazil Connect, together with its partners at (CNI), have developed innovative programs to prepare the 21st century workforce in both countries.  Each year, the partnership reaches thousands of students in 20 Brazilian states, providing crucial language and leadership skills to help the students compete in a globalized economy.

The Alcoa-funded pilot initiative will strengthen the existing programs by adding crucial components of networking and career awareness highlighting opportunities in mining and sustainability. Alcoa is providing support funding workshops, presentations and videos that US-Brazil Connect will incorporate into its curriculum.

“We realized that while our Brazilian students were hungry to learn English and find good jobs, many lacked information about opportunities in key sectors such as mining/sustainability,” said US-Brazil Connect President Mary Gershwin. “Support from industry leaders like Alcoa allows our students to gain awareness of the global career opportunities available to skilled technical professionals.

Announcement of the initiative comes as Brazil faces new economic challenges after years of rapid economic growth. The challenges emphasize the need for programs that ensure Brazilian students have the knowledge and resources to access Brazil’s best jobs.

The Brazil Institute--a sector of the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington DC--conceived of the initiative as a way to advance its mission of fostering dialogue around key issues of bilateral concern between the US and Brazil.

The mining/sustainability industry holds particular promise as a sector for future work opportunities for Brazilian students. The sector continues to grow after having expanded five-fold in less than a decade, opening the door to Brazilian students with the proper knowledge and training.

The critical focus of the workshop has drawn a number of high-level Brazilian dignitaries from the Brazilian Confederation of Industry (CNI), US-Brazil Connect’s Brazilian partner in Conexão Mundo. The delegation will include Denis Roberto Baú, Board of Directors of the Confederation of Industry of Brazil; Sérgio Moreira, Director of Education and Technology; and Frederico Lamego, Manager of International Relations; Also in attendance will be the US-Brazil Connect Leadership Team, Paulo Sotero of the Brazil Institute, 20 students of the Conexão Mundo Program, Brazilian coordinators of the Conexão Mundo Program and a representative of the Alcoa Foundation.

US-Brazil Connect is a Denver-based 501(c)3 nonprofit  committed to unleashing unrealized economic and human potential by joining communities in the US and Brazil. Founded in 2011, it has quickly become a leading facilitator of collaborative education programs linking the Western Hemisphere’s two largest economies.

Conexão Mundo is a unique collaboration between US-Brazil Connect and the Brazilian Confederation of Industry (CNI) pushing the cutting edge of international education. The project aims to strengthen the English language skills and confidence of Brazilian high school students while providing international leadership skills for US college students and young professionals.

The Alcoa Foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the U.S., with assets of approximately $475 million. Founded 63 years ago, Alcoa Foundation has invested more than $615 million in communities worldwide. In 2014, Alcoa Foundation contributed more than $22 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the world, building innovative partnerships to improve the environment and educate tomorrow's leaders for careers in manufacturing and engineering. The work of Alcoa Foundation is further enhanced by Alcoa's thousands of employee volunteers who share their talents and time to make a difference in the communities where Alcoa operates.

The Brazil Institute seeks to foster dialogue on key issues of bilateral concern between Brazil and the United States, while advancing Washington's understanding of the complexities of Brazil as a regional, democratic power, and an emerging global player.

The Brazilian Confederation of Industry (CNI) is the voice of Brazilian Industry, a highly active organization with a mission to defend and represent Brazil’s production class. The public-private partnership represents over a thousand associated employers unions, almost 100,000 industrial establishments and 27 state-level industry federations.

It's not everyday that US-Brazil Connect gets adorable and affirming letters in the mail. Yesterday, we received 18.

Letters from the students of Foothills Elementary school in Boulder, Colorado thanked us for connecting them with our Brazilian Student Delegates last month. Students from the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina went to the elementary school for three days to speak about Brazilian culture, complete joint writing projects and play games. 

The effort is a key part of US trip rewarding our Brazilian students. Educational partners like Foothills Elementary help connect Brazilian students to new friendships through first-hand experiences with the US education system. 

Alex, a 5th grade student at Foothills, let us know what that experience was like for him. "I like having a Brazilian buddy because I feel like it was a good chance for our cultures to connect. My view of the world changed a lot during the experience. My buddy inspired me to try very hard in school and maybe learn a different language."

Such great content deserves to be shared. Read all the letters from the Foothills students below.

US-Brazil Connect has discovered US industry leaders share a growing interest in workforce development in Brazil and the US.  When the Denver nonprofit hosted 108 of Brazil’s top math, science, and technology students during January and February 2015, US companies opened their doors to showcase opportunities for meaningful work in the technical sciences as career options for these students.

The students who took part in the trip to the US were selected for excellent achievement during the 2014 Conexão Mundo Program—an educational collaboration between US-Brazil Connect and the Brazilian Confirmation of Industry (CNI). Together, the two organizations work to create opportunities for young people in both countries by building skills required for success in a global economy—cultural competency, language efficiency and confidence when speaking English.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Applied Control Engineering, ARCADIS US Engineering, the ALCOA Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars/Brazil Institute, and a range of US companies on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit participated in the Brazilian student visit.

“We’re proud to support the brightest young minds of Brazil by strengthening their interest and confidence in pursuing STEM education and careers,” said Kathy Tobey, vice president and general manager of Special Programs for Lockheed Martin Space Systems. “Through their intellect and curiosity, the students will help drive Brazil’s growing space economy.”

When the students visited in January, Lockheed Martin Space Systems not only allowed students to demo virtual reality goggles and see models of next-generation US spacecraft. They also connected the students with young engineers working on the Orion Spacecraft—the future of NASA’s manned space program.  

“In our work with 2,000 Brazilian students over Conexão Mundo 2014, we have learned they want challenging careers that will connect them with the world. But they know little about the real options for great jobs,” said Mary Gershwin, president of US-Brazil Connect. “Through our partnership with Brazil’s Confederation of Industry, we help students see that the STEM fields can open the future to previously unimaginable work opportunities that are both global and meaningful.”

The 108 Brazilian students represented 18 Brazilian states and 32 Brazilian cities. Over January and February, they visited companies in Colorado, Michigan, Illinois, Montana and Iowa.

A collaborative network of community colleges, churches and host families successfully welcomed US-Brazil Connect’s largest student delegation to date. During January and February, communities in Michigan, Montana, Iowa and Colorado hosted 108 Brazilian students.

“When we send our Fellows to Brazil, we are always amazed by the level of hospitality,” said US-Brazil Connect Global Partnership Director Kerri-Ann Appleton. “This year we worked hard to match their kindness. Our families and an amazing set of new community partners rolled out the red carpet.”

The students were selected for their outstanding performance over the course of US-Brazil Connect’s Conexão Mundo Program in 2014. The two-week all-expenses-paid trip to the US rewards the top five percent of 2,000 students who participated in the Conexão Mundo Program.

Tracy Simpson, US-Brazil Connect’s Exchange Visit Coordinator, worked with host families and community partners across the country to welcome the Brazilian students.

“Our goal in this trip was to expand the horizons of these amazing students,” explained Ms. Simpson. “We hope the connections host families, host communities and educational partners forged with the students will last for years, if not decades.”

The Brazilian students traveled to locations in the US where they saw their coaches from the previous summer. While the majority of students came to Denver, US-Brazil Connect’s Community College partners also welcomed students to Jackson Community College in Michigan; Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, Montana; and Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Select host communities in each city also matched the Brazilian students with activities and host families. In the Denver Metro area, St. Ambrose Church, Denver Center for International Studies, Monarch High School, Boulder High School, Palomino Park, and Highline Academy all arranged activities and homestays for groups of student delegates. 

A number of educational partners also provided the student delegates a chance to see the US education system in action.  George Washington High School, Monarch High School, Montebello High School, South High School, Foothills Elementary each welcomed Brazilian students into classroom activities.