“We live in an era marked by the globalization of indifference toward all living beings and by the scarcity of truly conscious and humanized leadership. In this context, it is only natural to question the real impact of individual actions in the face of such great collective challenges.
At times, we are overtaken by a sense of powerlessness. It seems hard to believe that small actions can bring about meaningful change. Yet it is precisely in these moments that we must act. The discomfort we feel is a call to responsibility.
Thais Barros Beldi
Member of the Supporting
Institution and Director of
Strategy and Innovative Education
After all, companies, governments, and solutions are built by people. Change begins when we expand our awareness by seeking information, breaking free from our social bubbles, and raining our gaze to what surrounds us.
It is essential to pause and reflect on our privileges, resources, and possibilities. A simple gesture may not feel significant to the one who performs it, but it can represent hope, inspiration, and transformation for the one who receives it.
I believe it is through the sum of these conscious, individual, and intentional actions that we can build a fairer, more humane, and regenerative future.”
Patricia Klahr
Dean, Facens University Center
"In today’s world, sustainability is no longer an isolated concept but has become an essential guideline for institutions committed to the future. At Facens University Center, it stands as one of the pillars sustaining the academic excellence we pursue every day, alongside innovation, internationalization, and entrepreneurship. With social and environmental responsibility, we reaffirm our commitment to a transformative education aligned with the challenges of the 21st century.
We believe that true education goes beyond classroom walls. As Paulo Freire once said, ‘Education does not transform the world. Education changes people. People transform the world.’ Guided by this vision, our institutional actions aim not only to transmit knowledge but to inspire our students to become agents of change. This is reflected in integrative pedagogical projects such as Smart Forests, sustainable practices embedded in our infrastructure and daily operations, research focused on real-world solutions, and international partnerships that broaden horizons.
Beyond technical and intellectual training, we take seriously our commitment to the development of socio-emotional competencies and human skills. We know that to flourish in an increasingly complex and interdependent world, it is essential to cultivate empathy, active listening, collaboration, resilience, and critical thinking. We invest in initiatives that foster self-knowledge, emotional balance, and human flourishing as inseparable aspects of the academic journey.
Nelson Mandela reminds us that ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ With this conviction, we strive to promote integral development that brings together theory and practice, science and sensibility, innovation and ethical awareness. We work toward building an academic environment that encourages critical thinking, social responsibility, respect for diversity, and care for both the planet and people.
This sustainability report is more than a technical document—it reflects our very way of being as an educational institution. It expresses our ongoing efforts to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our activities in education, research, outreach, and management. More than meeting targets, we seek to cultivate a culture of responsibility, where each member of our academic community recognizes themselves as a protagonist of the change we wish to see in the world.
With pride and hope, we present the results, challenges, and achievements of this period, confident that together—students, faculty, staff, and partners—we continue to build a vibrant, innovative institution committed to the common good."
Vitor Hugo Estefano Barbosa
Systems Analysis and Development
student — 3rd semester
"I was born and raised in the rural area of the countryside of São Paulo state, where I had the privilege of observing animals in their natural habitat. However, over time, seeing animals such as deer and maned wolves has become rare, highlighting the growing loss of local biodiversity. Given this circumstance, I began my studies in the field of technology, aiming to contribute to raising awareness among the population about the importance of preserving the animals of our region and country.
During my technical studies in Information Technology, in 2017, I developed an educational game aimed at elementary school children, with the goal of sensitizing them about the preservation of endangered species. In 2024, I joined Facens and began a scientific initiation project with BIOMAP — a research platform on Brazilian fauna that integrates UX/UI principles to enhance learning. The objective is to provide students, researchers, and communities with access to information about Brazilian fauna, disseminating knowledge in an accessible way and promoting environmental awareness.
With the support of Facens, I have been able to carry out validation research for the platform, contributing to the progress of this scientific initiation project."
"When I finished high school, I started to connect with socio-environmental sustainability movements, developing a new perspective on our relationships with the world and with people. Through volunteering, I discovered not only my passion for social causes but also my inclination toward Psychology — a field that, in a way, had always been intertwined with my life story.
Anna Elisa Moutinho
Psychology student — 5th semester
When I joined Facens, my biggest concern was whether I would be able to balance my degree with my involvement in volunteer projects, which fulfilled me so much. To my surprise, the Psychology program not only allowed me to maintain this connection but also expanded my possibilities. The curriculum included community projects, and the institution offered numerous extracurricular activities that integrated academic training with social impact.
In 2024, I experienced moments that transformed my perspective: I served as a mentor at Enlace for the second time, took part in volunteer work at public schools in Sorocaba through LIS, and collaborated in the international event Hearth Summit São Paulo, hosted at Facens — an opportunity that later opened doors abroad. But the most remarkable moment was my two-day immersion in the Tabaçu Reiko Ipy Indigenous village in Peruíbe. There, I helped build the women’s healing house, diving into their traditions and ancestry. This experience, which I would hardly have had access to without the support of Facens and Enlace, showed me that true learning lies in encounters — with others, with the land, and with ways of existing that challenge our usual worldview, showed me that true learning lies in encounters — with others, with the land, and with ways of existing that challenge our usual worldview.
Each of these opportunities has taught me to look with ‘new eyes,’ as Proust once said. Facens, by fostering projects that bring together academia, social and environmental care, and ethical responsibility, has shown me that education is not merely about accumulating knowledge, but about being present in the world in an engaged and sensitive way. Today, I understand that transformation begins when we suspend our preconceptions and open ourselves to what lies before us—whether in a classroom, an Indigenous village, or a simple act of listening. And it is in this continuous unveiling of experience that I find my purpose: not to learn about the world, but to learn with it.”
Renata Caramez
Professor, Dentistry Program
“To me, being an educator is more than transmitting technical knowledge—it is about shaping consciousness, sparking reflection, and inspiring transformative action. Throughout my journey as a dentist and undergraduate professor in the Dentistry program at Facens University Center, I have sought to integrate oral health education with broader themes that resonate with students’ realities and with the challenges of our time. Sustainability is, without a doubt, one of these essential themes.
With this perspective, I developed the class project entitled ‘Smoking and Sustainability: Impacts on Oral Health and the Environment,’ which was awarded 1st place in the Facens Sustainable Educator Award. More than recognition, this award symbolizes the importance of an education that connects science, health, and social-environmental responsibility.
In the project, I encouraged students to critically analyze the effects of smoking not only on oral health—so central to Dentistry—but also on the environmental impact caused by cigarette consumption: from industrial production to the improper disposal of cigarette butts, which contaminate soil, rivers, and entire ecosystems. The proposal was to create an interactive and investigative approach, fostering student protagonism and helping them see the role of the dentist beyond the clinic—as a public health advocate and an agent of environmental awareness.
Teaching sustainability also means practicing listening, dialogue, and the collective construction of knowledge. In every class, I see how much students engage when they realize that the content goes beyond theory—when they understand that their future professional actions can positively impact both society and the planet.
Receiving the Sustainable Educator Award was an honor, but above all, it was a motivation to continue exploring pathways that unite health, education, and the environment. I believe that preparing professionals who are conscious, critical, and committed to sustainability is one of the greatest contributions we can leave for future generations—and this commitment begins in the classroom.”
