THE EARLY DAYS OF PPGEA

The Master’s Program in Environmental Education arose from the perception of the importance of this field to face the current Brazilian and world social and environmental crisis, facilitated by the philosophy of FURG already defined in the 70’s and by the experience accumulated in lato sensu graduate education by the former Department of Education and Behavioral Sciences (current Institute of Education). In 1993, a multidisciplinary group of teachers (from the Department of Education and Behavioral Sciences and the Departments of Oceanology and Physics) was gathered and, after a conversation with the Rector at the time, decided to start the process of organizing the Master’s Program in Environmental Education, creating a Commission, of which Prof. Dr. Sirio Velasquez was elected coordinator. Once assembled, the proposal was forwarded to the Higher Councils at FURG and, after approval, it was sent to the Ministry of Education. The first admission process was organized, including a written test, analysis of the dissertation pre-project, and interview. The written test, based on previously indicated bibliography, consisted of three questions regarding the following three areas: Philosophical Fundamentals of Environmental Education, Fundamentals of Ecology, and Pedagogical Theory. In this process, five students were selected. The answer received from the Ministry of Education recommended the opening of a Graduate Specialization Program, in view of Brazil’s lack of experience in the area of Environmental Education. The Organizing Committee of the Program, however, decided to maintain the Master’s degree. This was transformed into a Program Commission and the concrete support of the Rectory, translated into providing a classroom for the exclusive use of the Master’s Program in Environmental Education. The inaugural class of the Program took place on September 5, 1994, with a lecture given by Prof. Dr. Sirio Velasquez.

COORDINATION

Coordinator: Simone Grohs Freire

Assistant Coordinator: Luciana Netto Dolci

Secretary: Carina Gaspar Arejano Ballester

Intern: Darlan Goulart