Program Catapultas: Education for development in Bairro Padre Cruz

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

The aim of this Work Project, in partnership with WACT, is to propose a pilot program based on solid research to extend WACT’s activities in Bairro Padre Cruz, a neighborhood in disadvantaged socio-economic circumstances. Catapultas focuses on children and their education, given its large benefits for current and future generations. Researchers agree that family background is a main driver of educational inequality and its persistence. Catapultas is a mentoring pilot program for 20 children in the 5th grade, it aims to introduce an external element, the mentor, in their lives, leading to improvements in educational and social development.