Classes began at the Municipal School of Bento Rodrigues on 31 July, initially receiving around 130 students from 4 to 14 years of age, from Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School. The space will work full time, from Monday to Friday, and on school Saturdays.

Spread over four floors connected by accessible ramps and stairs, the school has 11 classrooms, a science lab, a computer room and a library. The cafeteria has the capacity to serve more than 80 students simultaneously. The school place also has restrooms on all floors, a multisport court, a children's playground and an administrative area. The school also presents sustainable solutions with solar water heating and reuse of rainwater.

The preparation and approval of the school project had the active participation of the students’ mothers and fathers, in addition to the school board, through discussion workshops and meetings with the Department of Education.

Prior to the official opening, trial classes had been taking place in the new district since April. Proposed by the school board, the action aimed to promote the gradual appropriation of the new space by students, teachers and the school community.

Provisional cooperation
At this first moment, to make the Bento Rodrigues school operational, the Renova Foundation and the Mariana City Government signed a cooperation agreement for a period of six months. The document establishes that the Foundation will provide administrative support until final delivery to the municipality – such as providing health and safety services, making transportation for employees and students available, in addition to supplying materials for the operation of the new space.

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Chris joined BHP two years ago and took over the reins of managing Jasper Asia in 2022. He is proud of BHP’s inclusive culture and active bystander program, hoping that when colleagues call out harmful behaviours, it helps to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to write and share their stories.