OUR ASSOCIATION
Associaçao Pinheiros is a community-led endeavour focused on creating alternative opportunities for learning and skill development for children from age 4-17. Based in Southern Portugal, Pinheiros is focused on trans-disciplinary learning, where learners are encouraged to take active, empowered roles in their personal learning paths, and in civic engagement.
Currently there are 7 full time educators/facilitators and 6 part-time specialists/tutors/mentors, along-side many volunteers. We are a not-for-profit association operating in the field of education, culture and recreation (with no religious or political affiliation).
The association currently serves 60 young people and their families, who come from Portugal, Britain, Holland, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Israel, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, and the USA. As a result, learners and their families are very often multilingual, and that multilingualism and multiculturalism is a pillar of our learning environment. Many members have known and worked together for 3 years–this represents the beginning of year 4 for those who have been a part of the project from its inception.
At Pinheiros, education is seen as an opportunity to focus on the development of the whole person, and intends to be regenerative: for the individual, within the community, and for the planet. We emphasise a holistic exploration that focuses on mind, body and spirit; service and skill development, to constructive group communication and decision-making. Learners are encouraged to build an awareness around local and global concerns, and mentor-educators aim to guide and support them as they make decisions that affect their daily lives.
OUR PEDAGOGY
We truly believe that every pedagogical methodology is a tool that can be valuable if used at the right moment. In this sense we have an approach where we adopt the best practice for the best results. How do we define the best results? Whatever tools will maximize the number of skills we are working on in each moment with the group. If a lecture will work on active-listening and note-taking skills, and we have a small group activity which works on these skills and leadership, organization, understanding others and emotional management, we will choose the group activity. In this sense we will draw from a variety of methodologies to meet the needs of the group, maybe a Waldorf activity, or even a Montessori-style field trip, and yes, sometimes we even use worksheets!
Some best practices that we often use are:
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Hands on learning
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Regenerative Learning
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Project Based Learning
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Experiential Learning
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Inquiry-based Learning
Certification
A few years ago we recognized a need that some of our learners had of external certification, specifically an internationally recognized secondary school diploma and transcripts. We are constantly exploring the ways we can have our program externally accredited. For now, certain learners are participating in the IGCSE program in a combination of working towards receiving high school transcripts from West River Academy in the USA.