Prayers, Lagoons, and University in Rural Education: The Role of the PET-School Project in Promoting Environmental and Ancestral Awareness

Abstract

This paper presents an account of an experience within the "Education and Sustainability" Tutorial Education Program (PET) at the Federal University of the Recôncavo da Bahia, focusing on the *PET Escola* (PET School) project. This project seeks to foster closer ties between the university and K-12 schools to strengthen initial teacher training. The aim is to understand how such initiatives can help promote educational experiences regarding sustainability, as well as the environmental and ancestral memories of students. The study seeks to understand the lived reality of children in the Recôncavo region—a reality historically affected by human-induced unsustainability, such as how climate imbalance led to excessive rainfall that flooded areas in the Jiquiriçá Valley. To this end, a qualitative study based on an experience report was conducted, involving an initial literature review followed by action research with students from a rural public school in the Três Lagoas community of Amargosa, Bahia. The literature review outlined concepts of sustainability and the value of ancestral knowledge for achieving harmony with nature, as well as the need for counter-colonial environmental education and curricular decolonization driven by a dialogue centered on ancestral knowledge. Results revealed significant environmental awareness and an appreciation for traditional knowledge within the studied community, fostered by educational dialogues and practices. The study concludes that *PET Escola* serves as a powerful agent for integrating theory and practice, bridging the gap between the university and public schools, and encouraging a critical perspective on sustainability by incorporating popular knowledge into an environmental education that...