For the first time, we are publishing our independent Activity Report, following the example of our sponsor, Raízen, which has been disclosing the performance of its operations every year for 10 years (see here) and has always disclosed part of our achievements in its report.
This publication contains our operating strategy, as well as the initiatives and results of our seven centers in Jaú, Piracicaba, Dois Córregos, Igaraçu do Tietê, Ipaussu, Valparaíso (State of São Paulo), and in Jataí (State of Goiás).
Questions about this publication can be submitted by email (fale@raizen.com) or by telephone (0800 728 1616).
Enjoy your reading!
Throughout my life, I have understood that gratitude is an act that can be demonstrated through actions that positively impact the lives of others. That's how, many years ago, I got involved in social projects to which I was able to dedicate more of my time and share experiences.
Based on these experiences, the Cosan Foundation was created in 2002 – today, it is called the Raízen Foundation. The initial idea seemed modest: taking care of the children of mill workers and offering vocational courses. But the dream was always big. And it got even bigger when we got to know each child or youth who entered one of our units, and we understood that we could change their perspective and open doors to a future filled with opportunities. The name was changed, but not our purpose.
It has been 18 years of promoting autonomy, leadership, and citizenship among thousands of children and adolescents – the roots of our future. I'm certain that the Foundation plays a vital role in the journey of each of these young people and their families. I feel like we've completed part of our mission every time I hear the news of a young woman who has entered the college of her dreams or a boy who has been hired for a job opening. That's the kind of news that warms my heart.
Building the future for a better country is the responsibility of each of us. And this is the belief that drives me.
With care and affection, thinking about tomorrow, we activate today. Our dream was always big. So was our ambition. We achieved a scalable program model with measurable results and a positive social impact. Today we are in seven units, serving nearly 1,100 families annually. Our commitment is to cover all of Raízen's operating units and, over the next three years, multiply by a factor of ten the number of people impacted. We want to open doors to an unimagined future, because this is who we have been from day one: we never stopped dreaming.
I am sure that we are going beyond, together with a network of partners who, like us, are willing to activate the future, motivate and develop people, and see them take charge of their own journeys. Every step we take, we combine advances for our business with benefits for society. Our challenge is this: to drive and expand the social impact of our programs. Therefore, we use all our energy and drive to improve ourselves and deliver even more value, today and tomorrow.
Mônica Maria Mellão Silveira Mello
Energy that activates the present for the future of all. For the future, we activate the present. And wherever our energy goes, we will leave a positive impact for everyone.
We want to change the perspective of children and youth who stop dreaming in the face of life's adversities and open doors to a future not yet imagined.
We are the Raízen Foundation, and together with a network of partners, we drive the development of people to help them take charge of their own journeys.
We work with affection and care through two programs that provide quality education and spur social-emotional skills: Ativa Infância (Active Childhood) and Ativa Juventude (Active Youth).
Ativa Infância is intended for the full development of early childhood, with full-time regular education and complementary activities. Ativa Juventude encourages youth to discover their calling and professional paths, encouraging them to stay in school and continue learning throughout life.
7 centers in the states of São Paulo and Goiás
(Click on the image to learn more about each center)
CENTER IN JAÚ 
CENTER IN PIRACICABA 
Our spaces
We understand spaces as a critical element of our methodology. In all centers, we maintain safe environments aimed at promoting the development of children and youth, while encouraging interactions, facilitating activities, and enhancing learning.
Since 2020, most of our centers have been powered by solar energy.
Our history began in 2002 as the Cosan Foundation in the city of Piracicaba (SP), offering courses for the children of Cosan employees. Since then, as the needs in the communities were identified, projects have been expanded, as has as our structure, which began to create centers in other locations.
In 2012, one year after Raízen was created, we adopted the name of our sponsor while maintaining the purpose of increasingly expanding opportunities for children and youth near the company's operations, which is positioned to redefine the future of energy, and one of the objectives is to enhance positive impacts by valuing local vocations and the leading role of people.
In 2018, we revised our operating model and began a prototype class in the Piracicaba (SP) center. The project represents the seed of what is today the Ativa Juventude program. In the following year, the initiative was extended to an additional five centers, increasing the number of beneficiaries.
In 2020, we revised our Strategic Planning, establishing action plans and goals for the short and medium term, as well as ambitions for the long term. Our idea is to guarantee performance that is increasingly connected with mega-trends and global agendas, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations (UN), effectively contributing to a tomorrow filled with energy.
The Raízen Foundation opened the doors to my professional world and motivated me to choose my profession, because through the Foundation I discovered my dreams and the means to achieve them when I was still a teenager.
Gabriel Luca Galdino, former student at the Raízen Foundation and an attorney working for a third-party company that serves Rumo.
Joining the Raízen Foundation has always been our dream (mine and my family's). We knew that our horizons for the future could be broadened. And so it happened. The future, which is now my today, was totally transformed by this support and investment
Ieda Monize Santana da Silva from Piracicaba (SP), former student at the Raízen Foundation and Social Project Analyst at Raízen.
I participated in the Raízen Foundation from 2010 to 2015, a period of great personal and professional growth. The activities at the time made me an even more inquisitive human being. There I learned about the importance of family, friends, and a support network in early childhood.
Giulia Rafaela Contarini, former student at the Raízen Foundation and lawyer in Cosan's legal department.
We develop children and adolescents, promoting autonomy, leadership, and citizenship through a business network committed to the future.
Our purpose is in line with Raízen's Social Performance Strategy, which aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the surroundings of its operations in a safe, respectful, and transparent manner that is integrated with the strategies of our business, valuing local vocations and the leading role of people.
We value our relationship with the schools and families of young people, and we participate in joint actions to promote comprehensive development and training in high school. Our objective is to contribute to reducing school dropout rates in Brazil.
My daughter learned a great deal at the Raízen Foundation and remains focused on advancing in life and being independent, leaving behind the years when she had no dreams for the future.
Vilma Silva – Mother of Kayane Vitória da Silva, who graduated in 2019 at the Center in Piracicaba (SP).
In 2020, Raízen made a public commitment to include 100% of its surroundings in our Ativa Juventude program by 2030. The program will be taken to locations that have the capacity to receive it.
We put all our energy into creating the foundation to ensure a better tomorrow for all of society.
I graduated last year and I miss the Raízen Foundation, which never left me behind. I recommend this experience to everyone. I learned to determine where I want to go and how to get there. That's awesome!
Raiany Kétlen dos Santos Pirota, 2020 graduate from the center in Valparaíso (SP).
Marcos Antônio da Silva Costa, who graduated in 2018 from the center in Valparaíso, began his career selling clothes, using a cart to carry his products to the city. Today he has achieved his purpose, acquiring his own physical store. He also uses social media to promote his products so he can sell in his city and throughout Brazil.
At the Raízen Foundation, I discovered a world of possibilities and learned that it is possible to dream, mainly because I was surrounded by people who believed in me.
Adriele Rodrigues Pereira from Jataí (GO), former student at the Raízen Foundation and Social Projects Assistant at the center in Jataí.
We are a non-profit Civil Society Organization of Public Interest (OSCIP), maintained by Raízen, a joint venture between Shell and Cosan, which obtains from its shareholders over a century of learning through corporate governance flows, practices, and frameworks.
Our work is guided by our Board of Directors, whose duties include watching over our institutional values and purposes. These are aimed at ensuring the rights of children and youth in less favored regions; providing social inclusion, educational and cultural training, leadership, and citizenship; and strengthening family and community ties.
Members are appointed by our sponsor for three-year terms and are eligible for reelection. There are two independent members who serve as advisory board members, providing additional knowledge in line with best practices.
| João Alberto Fernandez De Abreu | Chairman of the Board of Directors |
| José Leonardo Martin De Pontes | Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors |
| Mônica Maria Mellão Silveira Mello | Board Member |
| Alvaro Luis Cruz | Independent member |
| Sofia Esteves | Independent member |
* Election in May 2021.
The supervision of day-to-day activities is a responsibility of our Executive Board, which is responsible for approving action plans, as well as ensuring the achievement of short- and medium-term goals and long-term ambitions. The team is composed of four members, chosen by the Board of Directors for three-year terms with possible re-election.
| Paula Carvalho Benevides | CEO |
| Antonio Ferreira Martins | Legal Director |
| Marcos Guilherme Tiburcio Fernandes | CFO |
| Fernanda Pompêo de Camargo Ferraz | Administrative Director |
| Marcelo Rebelo Besteiro | Executive Director |
* Election in May 2021.
We share with our sponsor the same principles of integrity, safety, respect for people, and sustainability—contained in Raízen's Code of Conduct and in a comprehensive compliance program. Our activities are carried out in compliance with Brazilian law and the same corporate policies as Raízen.
We also disclose the Ethics Channel, accessible by toll-free number in Brazil (0800-772-4936) and Argentina (0800-345-4327) or through canalconfidencial.com.br/raizen. In line with best practices, contacts are registered by an independent company, which ensures full confidentiality and anonymity of the whistleblower. More information is available here.
Encouraging an active childhood through affection, care, and socialization is the first step in forming a healthy and happy individual, expanding their full potential.
At the center in Jaú, we developed a program for children that was recognized by the Ministry of Education. The program, which respects the right to learn by playing, was conceived so that children aged 0 to 5 years old can have access to full-time school, and children aged 6 to 10 years old can have access to extracurricular activities.
We offer a safe, playful space and opportunities to go far beyond passive knowledge and get ready to take those first steps.
Since March 2020, the center in Jaú has had to adapt to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we worked closely with the families of the 214 children assisted. More than 130 teaching activities (equivalent to 200 school days) were sent and monitored remotely by our team. We also remained committed to healthy foods for our little ones. Close to 23 tons of food from our cafeteria lunches were sent in the form of 2,150 staple baskets, donated monthly to program beneficiaries. The food was collected by the families in their respective centers, along with school supplies for the teaching activities.
We also began other projects and trained educators with a view to strengthening our position as a benchmark in preschool education in the region. As part of this process, we evolved our way of operating.
This is a dynamic and innovative approach that includes elements associated with listening, critical thinking, art, free expression, and developing a continuous flow of understanding. The methodology is based on the partnership between families and the school community, since we believe that activating a child also means activating their environment. All adapted spaces are inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, developed by educator Loris Malaguzzi in northern Italy in the city of Reggio Emilia.
Dreams, goals, demands, ideas, possibilities, future... Young people don't stop. And they shouldn't stop.
Adolescence is a period full of questions and concerns, when many people give up their dreams. To change this, we developed a methodology that encourages social-emotional skills in students transitioning to high school.
Through experiences after school hours, students have the opportunity to advance social-emotional skills such as self-awareness, leadership, communication, and citizenship.
By going through a personal and immersive process, program participants follow different professional paths, full of possibilities to create a plan for the future. Along this route, we encourage joint actions between students, schools, and families. We believe in the power of the full development of individuals and their communities. At the end of their journey, aware of their roles in the world, they move toward their dreams.
Program template
It is carried out at the Dois Córregos, Igaraçu do Tietê, Ipaussu, Jataí, Piracicaba, and Valparaíso centers, with around 120 students each.
Module 1 | Who am I?
This module encourages self-awareness. The activities allow participants to identify and recognize emotions, feelings, interests, preferences, strengths, and qualities to be developed, among other elements that compose their personalities. It also addresses basic principles of human rights and shows that a story can have multiple versions, leading students to recognize their own life stories.
Module 2 | What is my dream?
This module presents youths with possibilities for professional paths, encouraging autonomy and leadership. The activities help participants identify skills and competencies, study and consider different paths (higher education, technical education, and entrepreneurship), learn about professions, and reflect on opportunities. At this stage, students understand their dreams and relate them to a professional career.
Module 3 | How do I get there?
This module awakens the interest of youths in materializing their dreams, developing reflections on the importance of planning and encouraging the completion of high school. The activities allow them to choose the path they intend to follow, set objectives and goals, share experiences through social mentoring, prepare their action plan, and take charge of their own paths.
Total: 12 months
In 2020, we reinvented the way we operate in the COVID-19 pandemic, engaging 1,187 youths 100% online via WhatsApp. The results: more than 200 virtual meeting rooms, 1,098 mentoring sessions carried out, and 447 young graduates. Nearly 720 public school students join the program each year. Currently, more than 600 students are taking the course, with graduation scheduled for 2021.
In one of the online activities, Pedro Henrique Piras, from the center in Igaraçu do Tietê, told about his dream of becoming a race car driver. The video caught the attention of our sponsor's leadership, who provided him and three classmates, Ismael Ribeiro, Thifany Bianca Cocianji de Lasari, and Luis Henrique Cano, with a very special experience in partnership with drivers Átila Abreu, Gaetano di Mauro, and Djalma Pivetta.
The 2020 graduation was also entirely online. We brought together almost 800 people on a virtual platform, including the 447 young graduates, their families, mentors, and employees of Raízen and the Cosan group. The young graduates received a kit at their homes with gifts and a cell phone chip with mobile data to follow the event. The event was conducted by Rita Batista—radio broadcaster, journalist, and host—and had the participation of artists and digital influencers, in addition to Brazilian rapper and composer Fabio Brazza. The celebration was closed by DJ Cleber, who provided a moment of entertainment for the guests. Even at a distance, it was a very special moment in which we presented the results of the year and recognized the engagement of youths along their journeys.
Another highlight of the period was the work of bringing together the alumni who had graduated in 2019, the first group to graduate in a pilot project in the Piracicaba (SP) center in 2018. From this group, nine are currently apprentices at Raízen. There are also stories of those who dreamed of being entrepreneurs and got there, such as Sthefany Furlan, who already has more than 10,000 followers on her social media, influencing people and addressing issues related to beauty. The result of this is an online store that sells makeup products.
.The Foundation gave me experiences and taught me lessons, helping me develop the skills to devise new paths. Today, as a young apprentice at Raízen, I can say that each concept learned helped me to get here.
Mariele Olaia, 2019 graduate from the center in Piracicaba (SP) and apprentice at Raízen.
The Raízen Foundation passed on a lot of knowledge and, above all, a lot of experience. I have a plan for my future: I want to finish high school and study Education in college.
Helen de Souza – 2019 graduate from the center in Piracicaba (SP) and Apprentice at Raízen.
I studied at the Raízen Foundation between 2005 and 2010, and I had amazing experiences. Soon after, in 2011, I joined Cosan's Legal Department as a Youth Apprentice, and since then, I've been learning more and more!
Fernanda Re, former student at the Raízen Foundation, lawyer at Cosan's legal department.
The energy cannot stop!
The education and positive results obtained allowed for the development, during the coming years, of the same program in a new format: a hybrid, lasting four months.
Distance learning is important to keep us focused on our studies and help us learn to use new digital platforms.
Luís Eduardo, 2020 graduate from the center in Valparaíso (SP).
For me, one of the benefits of the distance learning format was acquiring self-discipline and time management skills.
Maria Eduarda, 2020 graduate from the center in Valparaíso (SP).
We challenged ourselves in an agile work model to develop this new initiative. A team of 20 volunteers, professionals from different areas of our group and from Raízen, met every day for three months, using design thinking tools. The result of this project is a business model that engages new investors and social partners, driving positive social impacts throughout Brazil.
It is, therefore, a scalable program, with measurable results and a positive social impact, which, with the support of partners and a business network committed to the future, could become a reality for more people. Our goal is to transform the lives of at least 10,000 people by 2024.
Much like children and youths, our energy cannot stop. For this reason, we expanded our perspective on long-term impacts through the public commitments assumed by our sponsor.
In 2020, Raízen signed a public commitment to take Raízen Foundation to its surrounding areas by 2030.
Our motivation lies in encouraging youths, with minds full of imagination and energy, to do something different. We want to build a future in which more and more families have their lives activated by education.
We measure our results based on indicators, both quantitative and qualitative, which gauge the impact that our activities had on the youths served and the positive social impact for our sponsor, in addition to identifying opportunities for improvement and the need for adjustments.
Our indicators
| Indicator | Type | Objective | Ambition | Result (in 2020) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attractiveness | Quantitative | Measure the conversion rate of youths approached in schools and interested in the program. | Greater than 45% | Average of 52.8% | ||||||||||||
| Team training hours | Quantitative | One of our goals is to maintain educator training, which is why we offer training to the team and leave room in our routine for reflection and improvement, since we also support an on-the-job learning model. | At least 1 training course in the annual planning period | Ativa Juventude: 40 hours and 30 minutes Ativa Infância: 62 hours | ||||||||||||
| Number of youths served | Quantitative | Monitor the number of youths trained in the Ativa Juventude model | 10,000 youths by 2024 | 76 youths graduated in 2019 447 youths graduated in 2020 Total aggregate = 523 youths graduated | ||||||||||||
| Engagement rate | Qualitative | Monitor the quality of student attendance based on participation and attendance. Participation is measured by attendance and by the results of structuring activities from the learning model. | 70% of the class with engagement above 0.5 | The average was 71.1% of the class with engagement above 0.5. During the pandemic, we reached 95% via WhatsApp groups, and 78% actively followed the content sent. The 5% that we did not reach was due to resource limitations, such as internet access. | ||||||||||||
| Satisfaction | Quantitative and Qualitative | Using the Net Promoter Score (NPS) methodology, the objective is to obtain youth satisfaction. The calculated amount is based on the answers to a simple question: ?On a scale of 0 to 10, how much would you recommend the Raízen Foundation to a friend?? The NPS is the difference between the percentage of scores 9 and 10 less the percentage of scores from 0 to 6, which can vary between -100 and 100. | NPS greater than 70 - excellence zone | Ativa Juventude: We achieved an NPS of 89.5. Nearly 99.2% declared satisfaction with the program and 82.2% rated the distance learning activities as 'Excellent' or 'Very Good.' (The result refers to students in 2020 who graduated in 2020 and 2021.) Ativa Infância: We achieved NPS of 97.5. 100% declared satisfaction with the program and 89.4% rated the distance learning activities as 'Excellent' or 'Very Good.' (The result refers to students in 2020.) | ||||||||||||
| Advancement of social-emotional skills | Qualitative | Measure the advancement of youths in social-emotional skills: self-awareness, empowerment, communication, and citizenship. Every month, the educators assess the behavior of youths according to the proposals presented on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = "did not demonstrate"; 2 = "demonstrated"; 3 = "demonstrated at times"; 4 = "demonstrated frequently"; and 5 = 'is an exemplar'). At the end of the 12 months, we compare the average of the most recent module with the first. In addition, each graduate answers a self-assessment reflecting on their growth throughout the program. | Growth greater than 50% | We recorded an average growth of 56.7% for youths trained in social-emotional skills. Despite being in line with our ambition, we believe in our methodology's greater delivery potential. We understand that we are part of the global educational community which, throughout 2020, worked to improve its observation and assessment methods due to the forced transition toward a distance learning model. Taking into account only the self-assessment of youths (i.e., the impact youths believed the model had on their lives) the average for the indicator increases to 80%. For more information on the youth self-assessment, click here. | ||||||||||||
| Number of people benefited | Quantitative | Monitor the number of people who are directly or indirectly impacted by all our actions, including the families of children and youths and the communities where they live. |
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| Number of areas served by Raízen | Quantitative | Monitor the percentage of Raízen's neighboring communities that we serve, as per the public commitment disclosed in 2020. | 100%* by 2030. *with model reception capability | 6.6% We are in 7 of 106 surroundings communities*. *For airport bases, we do not consider third-party operations |
Self-assessment of youths trained in 2020
After I joined the Raízen Foundation, I gradually lost my shyness about speaking in public, I learned to speak and listen, to respect different points of view and opinions. I developed empathy and learned about how important it is to be with people who want us to develop.
Jamile de Jesus Meira, 2020 graduate from the center in Dois Córregos (SP).
After having worked at the Raízen Foundation, I significantly changed my way of thinking about my dreams and abilities. Interactions with my family and friends have also improved. I am very grateful for all the educators who were the best at clearing up my doubts during my time with the program.
Vitor Hugo de Oliveira Brito, 2020 graduate from the center in Jataí (GO).
Now I study much more than I used to, and my way of talking to people has also improved. Today I am a much more determined person.
Elaine Teixeira Miranda, 2020 graduate from the center in Igaraçu do Tietê (SP).
None of these achievements would be possible without the support of so many partners Paulawho are with us in this positive social impact network. In 2020, many people and companies joined forces for the transformation of children and youths benefited by our programs. We give special thanks to the following partners:
Marcas Com Sal
TV1
Cosan
Paulo Silvestre (Journalist and Speaker)
Paula Aybu (Director of the Centro de Convivência Movimento)
CEDUC
CMEI Hilarinho Sanzovo
Instituto Crescer
Instituto Ayrton Senna
São Francisco Odonto e Saúde
GRSA - GR Serviços e Alimentação Ltda.
Comercial João Afonso
Herah (Behavioral Health)
Barracred
Village
Fabio Brazza (Singer)
Luiz Quinderê (Brownie do Luiz)
Moisés Egert (XV de Piracicaba Coach)
Sophia Valverde (Actress)
Átila Abreu (Stock Car Driver)
Ricardo Zonta (Stock Car Driver)
Gaetano Di Mauro (Stock Car Driver)
Pequena Lo (Psychologist and Digital Influencer)
Rita Batista (Journalist and TV Host)
Acervo Otavio Roth
Usual Brinquedos
VOAR - Raízen Volunteers
