The year 2021 was challenging for everyone with the continuity of the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic challenges generated by the health crisis. This scenario showed more than ever the importance of a united society for the good of all. Instituto TIM continued to make its contribution to solving the today’s challenges and the future of our country, developing actions for a more connected, innovative world and promoting education to new opportunities through technology.
Inspired by maintaining our mission of creating and enhancing innovative actions and strategies, we have successfully fulfilled the task of adapting the methodology of the projects carried out to the online format without affecting the quality of the actions. To celebrate and thank everyone involved in our projects, we highlight below some of our achievements for2021. Also check out our retrospective video with some more highlights from the past year.
New learnings in the Bateria TIM
The weekly meetings of the 50 members of the Bateria and the project team took place remotely. But the virtual environment was not able to reduce the brightness of the percussion classes, which in 2021 had two great novelties: body expression and singing activities. Throughout the year, the young percussionists learned theoretical music lessons, played and sang songs from the Brazilian popular repertoire, learned Brazilian dance movements and had contact with the initial fundamentals of singing. The young percussionists also learned to make sounds from the most diverse objects, such as pots, cups and packaging – instruments they made themselves during the meetings. “Now we sing, dance and play”, celebrates Mestre Mangueirinha, conductor of the Bateria TIM. In addition to the teachers and the project’s team of monitors, the classes are always accompanied by an interpreter of the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) and by the psychology professional who assists the participants. In 2022, Saturdays continue to be of learning and joy for the Bateria members with the continuity of activities.
AWC: another successful edition
After an 11-month journey and with the training methodology fully adapted to the virtual model, Academic Working Capital (AWC) closed its 6th edition in July with the presentation of the eight projects at the Investment Fair, held remotely and open to the public. This edition sought to encourage the creation of projects that would contribute to the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic in the areas of health, education, income generation, communication, mobility, among others. And AWC 2022 is coming: soon Instituto TIM will publish the public notice for the launch of the 7th edition of our entrepreneurial education program.
Teachers and the pandemic
At the beginning of the year, we released the results of the survey “Mental health and well-being of teachers in the context of the pandemic”, carried out by the Instituto TIM through the project “The Mathematics Circle in Brazil”. The survey heard elementary school teachers from all over Brazil and even in the midst of a very challenging scenario we had good news: despite all the difficulties of adapting to remote classes, reported by 70% of professionals, the pandemic gave rise to a feeling of career optimism.
Tribute to Robert Kaplan
What if kids liked math? With this dream in mind, Harvard professors Robert and Ellen Kaplan created The Mathematics Circle approach, which in Brazil was adapted and implemented by Instituto TIM under the name O Círculo da Matemática [The Mathematics Circle]. In November 2021, Professor Kaplan passed away in the US at the age of 88, leaving a legacy that revolutionized the teaching of mathematics in Brazil and around the world. The loss is irreparable, but we are absolutely sure that his teachings will continue to echo inside and outside the classrooms. In 2022, Instituto TIM in partnership with UNESCO will launch a book and an app about the project O Círculo da Matemática, which was carried out for seven years, involved more than 4,700 teachers and 27,000 students across the country.
TIM Faz Ciência now has an open license
Do you know what Open Educational Resources (OER) are? They are open-licensed learning materials and therefore available for teachers and students to use or adapt as they see fit. Recognizing the importance of this tool for the democratization of Education, part of the content of the TIM Faz Ciência project, from Instituto TIM, became an OER in 2021. OERs have grown around the world and are powerful tools for transforming technology-aligned education. The materials are available to anyone interested in our website.
Instituto TIM-OBMEP Scholarships
Instituto TIM and the Brazilian Public Schools Math Olympics (OBMEP) are partners in the Instituto TIM-OBMEP Scholarships initiative, aimed at low-income medalists who entered higher education at public universities. The objective is to help these talented young people, but without financial conditions and who live far from large urban centers, to be able to attend college, dedicating themselves to it full time. In 2021, the project continued to support 149 fellows in 52 public higher education institutions throughout Brazil. Since the beginning of the partnership, in 2015, Instituto TIM has already financially supported 317 young people with talent in mathematics who were approved to graduate in courses in Astronomy, Biology, Computing, Economics, Engineering, Statistics, Physics, Mathematics, Medicine or Chemistry.
Partnership with One by One
In 2021, Instituto TIM joined the team of supporters of the NGO One By One, dedicated to offering mobility and social inclusion actions for children and adolescents with disabilities. And the first mission was to end the queue for custom-made wheelchairs, which are donated by the entity to low-income families. Counting on a support network formed by around 10 thousand employees, TIM launched an internal fundraising campaign, in which it will complement the amount donated by its team. The partnership with Instituto TIM also provides for the company’s participation in the Exponential Education project, which prepares young people with cognitive capacity for the job market. The beneficiaries’ families can also join the program. Based on a theme, several disciplines are explored, through research, group work and production of activities. Entrepreneurship skills, on-demand learning and linked to the universe of science, technology, engineering and mathematics are encouraged. Founded in Rio de Janeiro, the organization has donated more than 1,600 custom-made wheelchairs since 2004, benefiting 1,400 socially vulnerable families. One By One’s performance is fully aligned with the pillars of Instituto TIM and Tim Brazil in promoting diversity and inclusion, and encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation.
Instituto Biomob
For the second consecutive year, Instituto TIM joined forces with the Gesto Solidário campaign promoted by the NGO Instituto Biomob with the objective of guaranteeing food for families of people with disabilities and helping to reduce the social impacts generated by the covid-19 pandemic. Instituto TIM collaborated with the donation of 3,060 basic food baskets ensuring food security to 348 families in situations of social vulnerability in 16 communities in the municipalities of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias, Mesquita and Nova Iguaçu. In addition to the baskets, 600 protective masks were also donated. The campaign also aims to strengthen the local economy and contribute to the survival of small businesses in the periphery – greatly affected by the health crisis. The purchase of the foods that make up the basket is carried out in small shops in the region.
Instituto Dara
Another highlight of Instituto TIM in 2021 was the action carried out with Instituto Dara (formerly Saúde Criança Renascer), a civil society organization that works to promote health and human development through the implementation and dissemination of an integrated approach to combating poverty. A world pioneer in intersectoral work with social determinants of health, Instituto Dara was founded by physician the Vera Cordeiro, in 1991, with a group of professionals from Hospital da Lagoa, in Rio de Janeiro. Instituto TIM contributed to the organization’s work by donating 547 liters of special and whole milk to children in 310 families; and a monthly salary for a professional in the area of Nutrition, who works directly with vulnerable families.
Instituto TIM’s performance reinforces TIM’s purpose and commitment to the development of Brazil and our mission continues in 2022.
