The Environmental Education project works closely with local schools to educate the area surrounding Iracambi about resource conservation and important issues facing the Atlantic Rainforest. The Environmental Education Programme works at creating and maintaining links with local schools and groups, and offers open days to students where they are given lessons about various parts of the local environment and how to preserve it. The Environmental Education Program also works to create teacher resources and lesson plans about the Atlantic Rainforest, providing example lesson materials and activity suggestions. The creation of these materials, as well as children's and teacher's pages posted on the Iracambi website allow us to reach school groups from outside of Brazil.

Ongoing work

• Create lesson plans and update existing ones.
• Ensure that new ideas and methods of teaching are ongoing.
• Brainstorming sessions for new ideas.
• Meeting with school teachers and education authorities.
• Meeting with the children to gain interest.
• Organise open days and school trips to Iracambi.
• Maintenance of website materials.
• Creation of new website materials.
• Prepare materials for radio, print and television appearances.
• Research into current school environmental programs and how Iracambi can support them.

Current priorities

• Liaise with schools in the local area to arrange classes.
• Outreach days - particularly on the Medicinal Plants project.
• Preparing lesson plans.
• Adding information boards to the trails most used by the program - the Medicinal Plants and Nature Trails.

Skills and expertise needed

• Fluent in Portuguese. Fluency in English is a definite advantage but isn't necessary.
• Experience of working with children.
• Creativity: ability to think of new ideas and activities to incorporate into classes;
• Basic scientific knowledge; familiarity with environmental conservation principles an advantage;
• Previous teaching experience a major advantage.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, written and spoken;

Time frames

The school terms run from February until the end of June, and then from the beginning of August to the end of November. Outside of these times the work that needs to be done is on preparing materials - both for the classes and for the kids website.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying to volunteer on this project, you need to e-mail us on iracambi@iracambi.com with an up to date copy of your CV/Resume and give us the following details:

• How do you feel you can benefit the project?
• What interests you about our project?
• What relevant experience and interests do you have?
• What other interests do you have?
• What expectations do you have from your time here?
• What language skills do you have?
• What date are you planning to come to Iracambi and how long are you going to stay?
• How did you find out about Iracambi?

We look forward to hearing from you soon.