The Outreach Program has been part of the Graded community for generations, having changed the lives of several Graded alumni. Xandão Nascimento ’20, known for acting and creating a program to teach English to unprivileged teenagers, as well as Guido Sant’anna ’23, known for winning the Fritz Kreisler International Violin Competition, are some examples of students whose lives have changed due to this opportunity. In the program, students receive rigorous two-year English immersion classes at Graded, while being able to participate in elective classes and after-school activities. Unfortunately, not all students can enroll at Graded due to the limited number of scholarships available (1). As such, the program’s coordinator, Fabiola Oliveira, has recently announced an upcoming closing ceremony for the current Outreach students on May 29, 2024, closing their cycle of immersion classes, marking the moment when one of them will be chosen to experience being a full-time Graded student.
The Outreach students, who have named themselves the Eager Eight, have given an exclusive interview to The Talon. Sharing their thoughts and experiences in the program, the students, Ana Sophia (12), Artur (12), Davi (11), Isabelly (12), Madu (12), Duda (12), Miguel (12), and Yas (12), all shared a mutual feeling of gratitude. Due to the Outreach, these kids have been given the opportunity to learn a new language, make new friends, and be included in the Graded community. In the eyes of Yas, “Graded is the only school that gives me the opportunity of studying English, and being part of extracurricular activities while being in the scholarship process”. Madu also described that “The Outreach program is the best moment of my life”.
Furthermore, the chance to join the Graded community for the students is, “a portal of opportunities in your life”, an emotional Artur stated. He added that “only speaking English is a good opportunity.” Unanimously, all students have been excited to be part of this program and having the chance to join the community. Despite such eagerness, the looming end of the cycle is daunting to the students, generating nervousness: “I am anxious about thinking which one of us will enter at Graded” (Ana Sophia). After all, the Outreach Program is shaping these students’ lives, providing them with an opportunity that sadly not all schools are capable of offering.
Current Graded scholarship students such as junior Julia Lacerda (Class of 2025), have mentioned that the Outreach Program has changed her life to an extent people can’t even think about, “opening so many new doors for me”. She described: “being a student at Graded gave me the chance to do sports, meet new people, and learn topics that I have never dreamed about understanding, such as TOK”.
In a world of inequality, education is the light that guides individuals toward a prosperous future – a light in the lives of many who might have little else. Ultimately, the Graded Outreach Program provides the opportunity to access quality education, and it is necessary for the positive impact of the program to be known all around the school community. Although the Eager Eight’s cycle is closing in a couple of months, they are valuable members of the Graded community, and they deserve to be heard.
