The TLTLab reimagines education through research, design, and the development of new technologies. In Brazil, we are long-term partners in the systemic transformation of public school networks, supporting educators, schools, and education departments in building innovative, equitable, and evidence-based practices.
Funder: Limmat Foundation & Marina Arnhold
Partners: Municipal Department of Education of Sobral (state of CE), Macaé (RJ) & Rio das Ostras (RJ), SESI Camaçari (BA)
CLIC (Computational Literacies integrated into the curriculum) is an initiative that integrates computer science into public school curricula in Brazil through culturally aware, contextualized, and interdisciplinary approaches. Launched in 2023, the project has already engaged more than 600 students across four partner networks. CLIC connects core Computer Science concepts to existing school subjects — especially in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematics — through learning activities aligned with Brazil’s national curriculum (BNCC). Rather than treating computing as a standalone subject, CLIC grounds it in the principles of constructionism, computational literacy, and interdisciplinarity, supporting teachers in developing creative, relevant, and meaningful practices for their students.
Funder: Itaú Social
Partner: Rio de Janeiro Municipal Department of Education (SME-RJ)
We are assisting the Municipal Secretary of Education of Rio de Janeiro in structuring the largest public education reform project in Brazil. The GETs (Ginásios Educacionais Tecnológicos) are a new model for full-time K-12 schools in the city. We are supporting the development, scale-up, and sustainability of this new school model in Rio de Janeiro, the largest municipal school network in South America, with 1.5 million students. Since 2023, the TLTL has directly trained more than 400 educators, co-designed more than 30 learning units, developed 14 training kits, and co-authored the program’s guiding policy document and pedagogical planning guide, as well as supported academic publications by Rio’s teachers. Grounded in constructionism, the model integrates project- and problem-based learning, maker education, critical technology integration, and science and engineering practices within a STEM+CAI framework.
Funder: Lemann Foundation and Limmat Foundation
Partner: Municipal Department of Education of Sobral (State of Ceará, Brazil)
IDEIA (Invention, Discovery, Investigation, and Learning) is one of Brazil’s longest-running science education transformation projects. Developed with the Municipal Department of Education of Sobral (state of Ceará), the initiative has transformed science teaching across the public school network for over eight years. The project combines a 200-page document with world-class Science Standards for the city, a redesigned science curriculum, 10 IDEIA FabLearn Laboratories for hands-on learning, the establishment of a new type of teacher in the network (the Pedagogical Redesign Teacher (PRT) ), and a continuous professional development program that has engaged approximately 570 teachers through 87 training sessions and the development of 15 high-quality instructional sequences, totalling more than 100 hours of Science instruction. The project is grounded in epistemic practices from science and engineering, supporting collaborative inquiry, investigation, design, and testing.
Funder: Itaú Social
Partner: Recife Municipal Department of Education (SEDUC-Recife)
IDEIA (Invention, Discovery, Investigation, and Learning) expanded its initiative to Recife, one of the largest cities in northeastern Brazil. Developed in partnership with the Municipal Department of Education of Recife, the initiative adapts the approach created in Sobral to the context of Recife’s public school network, integrating scientific practices, inquiry-based learning, and the critical use of technology into science classrooms. The program engaged 85 participants, including teachers, teacher educators, and school administrators, through 128 hours of in-person professional development and 16 hours of asynchronous activities. Grounded in epistemic practices from science and engineering, the initiative supports collaborative inquiry, investigation, design, and testing in science classrooms.
Partners: Singularidades Institute, São Paulo Municipal Department of Education (SME-SP)
Funders: Lemann Foundation, Imaginable Futures, Telefônica Vivo Foundation
PAC (“Constructionist Learning Program”) is an initiative designed to bring constructionist teacher education and the integration of Science and Technology in São Paulo’s public school network at the city scale, one of the largest in Latin America, with one million students. Launched in 2022, in partnership with Singularidades Institute and the Municipal Department of Education, the program engaged teacher trainers from all 13 Regional Education Directorates through 80 hours of in-person professional development focused on constructionism, interdisciplinary teaching, and science and engineering practices. At the center of the initiative was a new FabLearn Lab at the Singularidades Institute (LabSing), a hands-on learning laboratory inspired by TLTL’s international FabLearn network. The Lab was created as a permanent hub for professional development, collaborative curriculum design, and innovative educational practices.
Partner: Rio de Janeiro Municipal Department of Education (SME-RJ)
The NYC Immersion on Educational Innovation for Brazilian Teachers is an annual initiative held at Teachers College, Columbia University since 2023. This immersion program brings together public school educators and leaders from Brazil for an intensive week of workshops, seminars, and school visits centered on constructionism, inquiry-based learning, and maker education. To date, more than 90 educators and leaders from Rio de Janeiro’s public school network have participated, engaging in hands-on digital fabrication workshops, collaborative curriculum design activities, and reflective sessions that connect educational research and classroom practice.
Partner: Alana Foundation
The “Artificial Intelligence and Childhood Initiative” examines the ethical governance of artificial intelligence in education and its implications for children’s rights, teacher training, and public policy. Developed throughout 2025 and 2026, the project combined comparative research across Brazil and other countries, case studies of AI integration in K-12 education, and participatory workshops with educators, policymakers, and civil society. The work produced strategic recommendations and public guidelines on digital governance, data protection, critical digital literacy, and the evaluation of AI systems in schools.
Partners: Itaú Foundation & Telefônica Vivo Foundation
The OBSIA (Brazilian Observatory for AI in Education) investigates the role of artificial intelligence in Brazilian public education through interdisciplinary research on ethics, equity, and AI-mediated pedagogical practices. In its first cycle in 2025, more than 200 candidates applied to an open call, and six researchers were selected to conduct original studies and literature reviews. With mentorship from TLTL researchers, the group engaged regularly with leading national and international experts and presented their findings at an AI Summit held at Teachers College, Columbia University in 2026, disseminating results through academic publications and social media.
Partners: D³e (Dados para um Debate Democrático na Educação), Todos Pela Educação Institute, Telefônica Vivo Foundation
Over the past several years, the TLTL has produced influential research and policy reports on technology, equity, and hybrid learning in Brazilian education. Developed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, these reports examined how digital technologies and hybrid learning models could be implemented with quality, inclusion, and pedagogical relevance across public school systems. Drawing on international case studies and comparative perspectives, the publications addressed topics such as infrastructure, teacher professional development, data privacy, educational policy integration, and the evaluation of pilot programs. The reports significantly influenced national debates and policy on educational innovation through public events and meetings with policymakers, researchers, and education leaders.
Report Technologies for equitable education
Report Hybrid learning: guidelines for regulation and adoption with quality, equity, and inclusion