Table 2 Testimonies of respondents

“It was an experience and a learning opportunity that I and my students are going to remember for the rest of our lives. An opportunity to consider people around us and reflect on life, but it’s a reflection that allows you to move towards bigger dreams and transform people’s lives”

Professor at UnilaSalle

“But the results went far beyond: an encounter of two worlds, where one learns from the other; a chance to challenge preconceptions, make the most of the opportunities that we have and, above all, a deep human connection and plenty of affection and gratitude. Having future managers get acquainted with reality enables reflections and personal changes that are necessary to build better business and improve Brazil. This is the type of education that I believe in and that makes sense to me”

Professor at Unisinos

“A few hours of intense work became seconds when we saw that the children, the young people and the parents were keen on using the management tools and highly motivated to change their reality. And the experience did not have such effect only on them, but also on me and certainly on many of my colleagues from the MBA program at Unilasalle”

Graduate student

“Sharing ideas and realities makes a difference and turns divergence into convergence, causing what is different to become unique and changing a difficult reality into an opportunity for effective change”

“We stepped out of our comfort zone, our reality, and we were able to experience a completely different reality and challenge our preconceptions. We thought that we were going to teach, but we ended up learning a lot, too. It is an exchange of experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life”

Undergraduate student

“This model allows the children to open up to learning, which does not happen only in the classroom, but also when these children interact with other people, with the world, on a daily basis. This increases their self-esteem and their desire for change”

Teacher from Escola Convexo

“The changes are also perceived in their homes. My daughter is more closely connected with our family. She helps around the house more often. Her interaction with her classmates has also improved”

Mother of a student from Escola Convexo

“Parents are more involved and are getting closer to their children. Given that it is a community that has stemmed from illegal occupation of land, the parents find it hard to be really involved in the school activities of their children. However, there was even a reduction in violence in the vicinity of the school”

School Principal

“Escola Convexo can optimize the education of potential leaders, that is, it aims to develop leaders. In addition, it aims “to bring together and connect things and people, and each one connects in the way that they like better”. In this sense, the school plays a role not only in developing the children and positively impacting the community, but also in integrating society with this reality, and promoting benefits that can be generated to mentors because they are part of this change”

Teacher at the elementary school

“Some people came over on Saturday to help the Cooperative. We told them about Escola Convexo and after that we showed them data from the survey that we made in the community. We had a sort of a racing game on a board placed on the floor. We had to include the problems/obstacles that the cooperative may have to face. It was very nice, I love to meet new people and enjoy being at Convexo”

Student from Escola Convexo

“We were visited by a group of people from a university. One of the activities was about recycling second-hand clothes. We had to make sketches and cuts on the garment to exercise our creativity. After we had finished, we had to present what we had done, what we used and how we did it”

Student from Escola Convexo