Brazil – The RSB Formation Day strengthens the mission of educational counsellors and guidance tutors
(ANS – Aparecida) – The First Formation Day for Educational Counsellors and Guidance Tutors from the Salesian School Network Brazil (RSB) was a multi-day event, held from 24 to 27 March at the Padre Vitor Coelho Events Centre in Aparecida, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Organised for the first time, the programme facilitated face-to-face interaction between counsellors and guidance tutors from secondary schools across all Salesian institutions in the country.
Aimed at strengthening the identity and mission of guidance and educational support in Salesian schools, the event was structured around three thematic areas: charismatic identity, technical development and contemporary challenges, always in line with the RSB Curriculum and its vision of integral education.
Identity and mission as a starting point
“Salesian Identity and Mission” guided the discussions on the first day, with particular focus on the session “Guiding to Humanise”, which highlighted the role of the guidance counsellor as a mentor to the students, acting as a significant presence in their school lives.
This approach reinforced the need to integrate technical skills with care for socio-emotional development, promoting bonds, skilled listening and holistic support.
Technical formation and educational practices
On the second day, Wednesday 25 March, the programme focused on exploring practical skills in educational guidance. In this vein, a short course was offered on ethical coexistence and the prevention of school violence, with scientific and methodological contributions to everyday school life, highlighting the importance of valuing interpersonal relationships as much as academic results.
Thematic workshops were also held on this day, enabling participants to specialise in strategic areas such as youth leadership, life planning, conflict mediation based on non-violent communication, preventive pedagogical practices and combating cyberbullying.
Contemporary challenges and the experience of the charism
Thursday 26 March was dedicated to reflecting on the current challenges faced by educational counsellors and guidance practitioners. Through the “Mosaic of contemporary challenges and technical intervention”, participants shared experiences and collaboratively developed pathways for increasingly effective and preventive action in response to young people’s needs.
In the afternoon, the Day offered an immersion in the roots of the Salesian charism, with guided tours of historic and symbolic sites. The experience enabled participants to link educational practice with the history and spirituality underpinning the Salesian mission, strengthening their sense of belonging and the continuity of the legacy within which they work.
Voices Weaving the Future
On the final day of the meeting, 27 March, the central session entitled “Weaving Commitments: The Educational Direction We Have Adopted” allowed participants, divided into groups, to summarise the week’s learning into practical objectives aligned with the curriculum planned by the RSB.
“Each group defined three commitments: one linked to identity; one linked to practices and technical interventions; and a final one linked to emotional and relational care,” and subsequently, everyone was able to vote on the commitments they considered a priority for their own educational mission, explained the RSB’s head of formation projects, Ana Paula Costa e Silva.
Then, in a plenary session, the participants shared collective reflections, consolidating a sense of shared responsibility. More than a technical alignment, the closing session highlighted the strengthening of Salesian identity and the cultivation of emotional intelligence as pillars of school mediation and guidance.
A new chapter for Salesian education
The closing ceremony and final acknowledgements were led by the RSB Executive Council, represented by Sister Silvia Aparecida da Silva, Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, and Fr Sérgio Augusto Baldin Júnior.
“At the end of this formation phase, I believe the Network has been further strengthened. Each of the educational advisers and guidance counsellors conveyed this message to us: they are richer in terms of content, but even more so in terms of relationships and sharing within the network, and this is very positive for us,” she said.
“Now that our meeting has concluded, it is a great joy to see how many bonds have been forged, how many connections and bridges have been built regarding how to work within the Network in this demanding task that is the art of accompaniment and guidance in our schools,” Fr Baldin Júnior concluded.
With information from the Brazil-São Paulo Province and the RSB