In the last days Rua Arquiteto Nelson Rocha in the Jardim Glória neighborhood, right next to Instituto Projeto Neymar Jr., has become more colorful. For the first time, INJR students were able to follow the tradition, passed down from generation to generation, of decorating the street on the eve of a World Cup.
Flag of Brazil, Neymar Jr’s National Team shirt, soccer ball, Canarinho mascot and much more. These were some of the figures chosen to stamp the asphalt on the entrance street to the Instituto. The drawings were developed by the art teacher, Jurema Gonçalves de Souza, and colored in green, yellow, blue and white by the students aged 7 to 14 years old assisted by the social project.
The idea was elaborated and implemented with the intention of providing a playful and fun activity for children, encouraging creativity and exalting tradition. The decoration, which includes Brazilian flags hanging on the sidewalk, was also a way to bring the mood of cheering for the Brazilian National Team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the Instituto.
For teacher Jurema, seeing the results of her efforts during classes was a source of pride. She was responsible for, during classes and with the help of the children, designing and cutting the templates that were used to draw the drawings on the street. “It’s really cool to see that they were being prepared during art classes for this moment. They were really looking forward to it. And the result is this, beautiful, that you are seeing. The happy children, very excited, very excited about this beautiful mess. And everything worked out, how good!”, celebrates the teacher.
And the kids loved the experience. Student Maria Luisa Delacoleta was excited about the activity. “I loved it! This idea of painting the street was very creative”, she celebrates. For Julia La Fuentes Lopes dos Santos, also an INJR student, the activity ended up becoming a joke. “It’s a really cool experience. Because you play with the kids while you’re painting,” she says. Student Anderson Cardoso de Moura says that the activity helped him and his friends to get into the spirit of the World Cup.
In the end, everyone joined in the fun. Teachers from the sports and education departments got together to help trace the designs on the asphalt, all driven by the same motive: the joy of the children.
