Isabela S.

Isabela resides in Sol Nascente, in Distrito Federal, currently the largest favela in Brazil. Throughout her life, she witnessed cases of school dropout and violence, while realizing the importance of education in overcoming inequalities and providing a better life for her family and community. Consequently, she began contemplating initiatives to expand educational opportunities in her school, such as participating in scientific Olympiads. After the pandemic, Distrito Federal experienced a crisis with a significant increase in violence cases, and Isabela believed the solution should start with the students themselves.

Through connections on social media, Isabela, her sister Isadora, and her friend Eduardo established Jovens Líderes pela Paz [Young Leaders for Peace]. The initiative trains students to become disseminators of a culture of peace in their schools, engaging in activities that encompass topics like mental health, non-violent communication, and opportunities for youth. The initiative was presented to the Distrito Federal Education Department, which incorporated the project into its actions to address the crisis.

Isabela works with over 60 volunteers and coordinates the project with a group of 5 directors who oversee the volunteers in their respective areas. She shares leadership responsibilities with her team, who, in turn, share them with the volunteers. The project focuses on the following fronts: training and visiting young leaders, mental health, communication, violence against women and their rights, and public policies. Isabela believes that the project changes how students perceive their own education and the goals they set for it. The project has already reached over 10,000 students and trained more than 200 young leaders in 15 schools. In the coming years, they aim to expand the project, both in terms of quality and quantity, to other states as well as other regions in Latin America. Recently, the initiative won the LED Award.