This terrific organization gives socially at-risk children in Santa Teresa and the surrounding favelas a rare and valuable opportunity.

Since 1999 Vania Farias has made it her mission to provide free ballet classes, daily snacks, activities and transportation to events outside the community. The Ballet continues to grow, and is seeking the resources to physically expand its facilities.

I don’t mind saying that this type of grassroots, community-based initiative is exactly what the world, and Rio de Janeiro, needs. The need is clear, the response from the community has been very positive, and the results speak for themselves:

• Social Integration: Decrease in socio-cultural differences between social classes
• Academic Education: Decrease in number of students held back and number of illiterate students, with an increase in level of education, giving the students a higher level of professional competitiveness in the future job market; decrease in levels of child labor and violence
• Preventative Health: Zero incidence of pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease amongst STB students; decrease in domestic accidents, increase in healthier eating and better hygiene
• Cultural Education: Intellectual instruction through continued access to cultural activities

Just imagine if the above results were applied not to just 150 children, but to thousands.

Indeed the Ballet of Santa Teresa will never service the entire socially at-risk population of Rio, but the success of this institution serves as a model for other, similar, community initiatives. If only there were hundreds of similar resources throughout the favelas.

If you are interested in helping the school, you can join the Facebook group, or make a donation here. For more information about the BST, please visit the BST website (which is beautiful, and presented in English or Portuguese).