It might have been the way Matheus Nucci Mascarenhas held his grandmother Marilia’s hand as the two navigated to our conference stage. It might have been the way Marilia beamed at her grandson the whole time. Regardless, 120+ conference attendees laughed and cried as these two told their story during the opening session for the Mizzou Academy annual teaching and learning conference in Brazil. 

This month, Matheus completed his high courses in the Mizzou Dual Diploma program where he studies at Notre Dame (Campinas, SP).  He and Marilia presented on the continued need to work for women’s rights. This conversation began as an assignment for our co-teach social studies course and grew into an essay that appears in Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver and Jill Clingan’s new book on Teaching Women’s and Gender Studies in the middle school classroom. 

Matheus lights up when he talks about learning with his grandmother, “My grandmother’s voice is strong. This interview showed me the perspective of a progressive woman who intended to propel practical changes to further the cause of gender equality.”

Better Together: Conference Theme and Team

This was just one of the many moving moments at the recent Mizzou Academy Teaching and Learning conference led by Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, Stephanie Walter, Angie Hammons, Brian Stuhlman, and Lisa DeCastro. The team of five was joined in Brazil by Roberta Healy, Renata Vaccari, and Ana Nikolou to put on a conference for the 37 partner schools in the Mizzou Dual Diploma program in Brazil. The theme of the 2022 conference was “Better Together.” 

Throughout the conference, Stephanie Walter, Mizzou Academy’s Director of Teaching and Learning, was “deeply appreciative of the transformative work happening in our partner schools.  Those of us who traveled to Brazil recognize that this work is possible only because of the efforts, intelligence, and compassion of our broader Mizzou Academy team and all of our partner educators.” 

Student Voice and Leadership

Mizzou Academy Executive Director Dr. Fishman-Weaver says the conference was “definitely a success.” While she noted many celebrations, her favorite accomplishment was “all the ways we were able to center student voice.” 

The conference included presentations, performances, and participation by 12 student leaders. These young people helped facilitate sessions, performed musical numbers, presented on their work in language arts, social studies, and speech and debate, and served as student ambassadors at our conference. Carolina Goldenberg Ayub and Isabela Abbud Silva were two of the student presenters.  These two student leaders are rising juniors in the Dual Diploma program where they study at Colegio Dante. 

Their presentation was on their work with the United Nations SDG 5, which is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. To help address this global challenge, Carolina and Isabela are dialoguing with their peers and fostering a conversation across Brazil through their new Instagram account @onu.girlup.

The students helped facilitate a conference session on the power of youth leadership. At the session, Lisa DeCastro and Kathryn Fishman-Weaver taught about youth participatory action research (YPAR) and gave examples of the ways youth are engaged in important local and global work connected to the United Nations SDG. 

In addition to sharing about their work toward gender equality, these two youth leaders also discussed the ways their Mizzou Dual Diploma classes prepared them to engage in this work. Carolina and Isabela credited their Speech courses for giving them the confidence to speak publicly on issues that matter deeply to them and the program as a whole for helping them believe that they didn’t have to wait to start making a difference. 

Continued Connection 

The conference team delivered 28 different breakout sessions during the event with over 100 educators in attendance. The sessions focused on four strands: Dual Diploma Program, Mizzou Global Scholars, Mizzou Elementary, and Teaching and Leadership. The conference concluded with a Mizzou Academy talent show and a certificate and partnership ceremony.

This was our Elementary Coordinator’s Lisa DeCastro’s first trip to Brazil. Now that she has been home for a week or so, DeCastro says, “I’ve always felt the warmth from our Brazilian coordinators and teachers come through over the zoom screen. What I didn’t expect was how that warmth and welcoming spirit could be magnified 100% by meeting in-person at the conference and spending three days together. I feel more connected, and our relationships are more vibrant and stronger as we get ready to launch another school year in 2023.”