EDUCATORS
GLÁUCIA MACIEL - MUSIC EDUCATOR
Gláucia Maciel, born and raised in Morro da Providência, holds a degree in music from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) and is currently pursuing her master's degree at PPGM - UFRJ. She is one of the music educators at Casa Amarela and co-founder and administrator of Orquestra de Rua, a string quartet dedicated to democratizing access to classical music and instruments.
Gláucia has also performed as a violinist in programs on Rede Globo and participated in a long list of music festivals both in Brazil and abroad. She has given interviews and even conducted at Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro. It was an opportunity provided by an NGO that led her to become a violinist and music teacher, which she now views as essential, along with her awareness of her territory and identity. These elements guide her work in teaching music to children and teenagers from her own and other favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
WALLACE LIMA - COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATOR
Professor Wallace Lima is a technology enthusiast with a degree in Internet Application Development from CEFET-RJ and is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Network Engineering at Instituto Infnet, in partnership with the renowned MIT.
With over two decades of experience in large corporations, he has amassed extensive knowledge in LINUX and Microsoft operating systems. In addition to his corporate work, Professor Wallace has also shared his expertise as a facilitator at Escola Divina Providência, focusing on introducing students to the job market. At the JFW Computer School, he taught courses on hardware, office software, and programming. He firmly believes that education is the key to a promising future.
JULIANA MELO - URBAN DANCE EDUCATOR
Juliana Mello - Artistic Director, Dancer, Choreographer, and Art Educator
Juliana Mello is the co-founder of Instituto Efeito Urbano and the creator of the first dance company in Morro da Providência, Cia. Efeito Urbano. She has been working as an art educator at Casa Amarela since 2017. As an artistic director, dancer, and choreographer, Juliana dedicates herself to promoting dance and education in the community.
ERNANE FERREIRA - AFRO DANCE EDUCATOR
Ernane Ferreira holds a degree in Commercial Management and specializes in Strategic Business Management from Pitágoras College in Minas Gerais. He is the General Coordinator of Casa Amarela, responsible for proposing and ensuring the implementation of educational and emancipatory projects, supporting initiatives, coordinating actions between managers, educators, the team, and residents, all while staying connected to the territory and overseeing these actions.
A disciple of Marlene Silva and Evandro Passos (Traditional Afro), Carlos Afro (Afro-Brazilian), Ernane has researched under masters in Rio de Janeiro, such as the late Carlos Mutalla and Charles Nelson, the latter being a prominent figure in Afro-Brazilian dance and a major partner and supporter.
Ernane is the creator of the ICAB Project, a cultural integration proposal focused on Afro-Brazilian heritage, and the founder of ColErê Providência, an Afro dance collective for children and teenagers, which was born out of an educational proposal and is a pioneer in the territorial focus.
He fosters partnerships with Afro-referenced initiatives aimed at preserving and valuing Afro-Brazilian traditions rooted in terreiros (Afro-Brazilian religious spaces) and African legacies. Ernane is a permanent dance educator at Casa Amarela Providência and continues to believe in the transformative and political power of popular dances, rooted in educational processes.
NINA CHINI GANI - ENGLISH EDUCATOR
Nina Chini Gani is a bilingual designer with a degree in Visual Communication from PUC-Rio. She has worked as an English teacher at Berlitz and as a translator, but since 2014, she has focused on tourism, primarily related to urban art. In 2020, she began working as an English educator at Casa Amarela, teaching the Erês do Somodé and MIP groups. She is currently teaching 10 students from the Erês program.
MARIANA ANDRADE - HEALTH EDUCATION EDUCATOR
Mariana Andrade is a Black woman, yawo (an initiate in Afro-Brazilian religious traditions), and a nurse specializing in Adolescent Health and Clinical Nursing from UERJ. She serves as a representative of the State Human Rights Commission and works within the public health system (SUS). Her studies and research focus on Public Health, Adolescent Health, Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Black population health, and the impact of race/color on healthcare services. She is the founder of the Saúde Cativa project and a health educator at Casa Amarela.
CAMILA ZARITE - KEKERÊ EDUCATOR
Camila has been an educator for the Kekerê group at Casa Amarela Providência since 2022 and also works as a social worker for the Rio de Janeiro city government. She engages through art and culture by delivering artistic performances of Black children's and youth literature storytelling and leading educational workshops. Additionally, she crafts handmade toys and pedagogical materials for the Akoko Nan Educação project.
DIEGO ESCOBAR - MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Diego Escobar, a native of Rio de Janeiro and resident of Cidade de Deus, is an audiovisual producer, fashion creator and producer, as well as an Ogã (a percussionist and spiritual leader in Umbanda) and percussionist.
He has been part of Casa Amarela since 2018, overseeing Musical Direction and percussion for performances and Afro Dance classes. In early 2024, Diego launched an Afro Musicalization program at Casa Amarela, where he teaches percussion to the Kekerês, the first group of residents. He combines musicality and ancestry, offering a rich cultural experience for the children.
GABY MAKENA - PEDAGOGUE AND LITERACY EDUCATOR
Gaby Makena is a PhD candidate in Education at the Federal Fluminense University (UFF) in the research line of Popular Education Studies; she holds a Master's degree in Education from the Human and Social Sciences Center at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) and a Bachelor's degree in Pedagogy from UERJ.
Throughout her career, Gaby has worked as a pedagogical assistant and teacher. Currently, she is a scholarship holder at the Cecierj Foundation, serving as an Academic Coordinator for the Teacher Training Program at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, tutoring courses in Literacy 1 and 2 and Educational Psychology.
At Casa Amarela, Gaby is a permanent literacy teacher working with the Kekerê and Erês groups. She has implemented literacy and reading programs, building an educational pathway with children from Morro da Providência starting from early childhood. Gaby believes in education as a practice of freedom and focuses on issues surrounding Black resistance and contributions to anti-racist education. Her teaching and research aim to integrate African and Afro-Brazilian content into the children's daily lives.
ERIVAN FEITOSA - BOXING EDUCATOR
Born and raised in Morro da Providência, Erivan Feitosa is a Physical Education student, boxing coach, and specialist. He currently teaches about 100 children in Morro da Providência, working with them from beginner levels to high performance.
What motivated him most to teach at Casa Amarela was seeing himself in these children. He was once one of them, growing up facing the same obstacles. In the midst of violence, drugs, and prejudice, Erivan found another way out through sports, and this is what he aims to show the children at Casa Amarela—that those from the Morro have other paths to follow, far beyond the alleys and streets of the community.
VINICIUS MARTINS - SKATEBOARDING EDUCATOR
Vinicius has been a skateboarder for 25 years and is a native of Morro da Providência. He relates to the lives of his students, who face similar challenges, and aims to contribute to transforming their realities by showing that skateboarding can be a tool for positive change. With 15 years of experience as a skateboarding instructor, Vinicius began teaching at Vila Olímpica da Gamboa in 2005, Praia Clube São Francisco in 2014, UFF's DCE in 2015, Casa Amarela Providência since 2019, and Instituto Skate Cuida in 2022 and 2023. He has also been the skate coach for the Intercollegiate Skate Team at Escola Loide Martha since 2023.
Vinicius is the co-founder of the Santo Skate Park at Morro da Providência, the first skate park located atop a hill in Brazil's first favela, which was established in 2022. He is currently studying physical therapy and is leading the 2024 state skateboarding rankings in Rio de Janeiro in the master category.
JULIANE SOUZA - MUSIC EDUCATOR
Juliane Souza, a resident of the Mangueira community, is a violin teacher at Casa Amarela and one of the founders and administrators of Orquestra de Rua. She began her music studies at Centro Cultural Cartola, and later earned a scholarship to the Petrobras Symphony Youth Academy, where she graduated after two years. Currently, she is a music student at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and has performed various violinist roles for Rede Globo.
Given that most community residents lack access to classical instruments, Juliane's goal is to share with children and teenagers everything she has learned, emphasizing the democratization of classical music.
MARILUZ - MIP EDUCATOR
Mariluz, a young Black woman, is a multifaceted artist with intensive dance training at the Centro de Artes da Maré. She participated in the artistic residency for funk artists in the Estude o Funk program at Fundição Progresso and graduated as a rebolado (twerking) instructor through the RB Carioca educational platform.
In addition to her artistic work in the performing and visual arts, Mariluz is also an art educator. She teaches rebolado workshops and serves as an educator in the Mulheres Independentes da Providência collective, leading the welcoming and educational activity Ritual do Rebolado, which integrates dance, health, and ancestry in a dynamic and enriching format.
Through body techniques and a facilitator approach using stretches and exercises based on rebolado movements, she promotes body awareness, tension release, and emotional somatization, while improving flexibility and strength. Her choreographies are created from research into cultures that practice rebolado, incorporating knowledge of medicinal herbs, and stimulating physical, mental, and spiritual well-being—all while celebrating personal and collective empowerment.
THAYNÁ DE SOUZA - MIP EDUCATOR
Thayná de Souza is from Morro da Providência, in the Port Zone of Rio de Janeiro. A journalism student at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), she loves discussing music, culture, and the right to the city, combining her personal experiences with her Communication studies. Currently, she works as a journalist for Voz das Comunidades and as an educator with the MIP - Mulheres Independentes da Providência collective at Casa Amarela.
SANDRA REGINA DE SOUZA - MIP EDUCATOR
Sandra Regina de Souza is a Black woman from Baixada Fluminense, an Iaô (initiate) of Oxum in Ilê Axé Iyá Nassô Oká-Ilê Osùn, daughter of Miriam de Souza, mother of Alessandro, Andressa, and Gabriel, and grandmother to Nicolas, Maria Luiza, and Aurora.
She holds a Master’s degree in Education from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) and is a researcher in Justice and Security at the Federal Fluminense University (UFF). Sandra is a teacher at SEEDUC and the director of the Olomire Association. She also serves as an educator in the Mulheres Independentes da Providência (MIP) collective at Casa Amarela.
ELOANE RAMOS - MIP EDUCATOR
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Eloane Ramos holds a degree in Electronic Engineering, with a master’s and PhD in Biomedical Engineering, all from UFRJ. She works at the Instituto Fernandes Figueira / FIOCRUZ as a researcher in public health, focusing on maternal and child health, scientific methodology, data collection, and biostatistical analysis. She has experience in education, having taught in technical schools for electronics courses, as well as in the master’s and PhD programs of the Postgraduate Program in Clinical Research at FIOCRUZ, where she taught biostatistics.
Currently, she is also a craftswoman, involved in the education, creation, and design of crochet pieces. Eloane is an educator in the Mulheres Independentes da Providência (MIP) collective at Casa Amarela, where she leads crochet workshops.