FEXTENSION THAT BLOOMS: PEDAGOGIES OF LIVING EARTH AND CHILDHOOD LEARNING AT CASA ENCANTADA

PEDAGOGIES OF LIVING EARTH AND CHILDHOOD LEARNING AT CASA ENCANTADA

Abstract

This article examines the formative practices and pedagogical impacts of the Environmental Axis of the Agroecological Practices in Childhood: Cultivating a Sustainable Future project Casa Encantada, linked to the Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira (UNILAB), as an integrative experience of teaching, research, and extension. The study investigates how extension activities can foster meaningful childhood learning grounded in traditional knowledge and agroecological practices. Its objective was to explore how children’s engagement with the land, cultivation, and sustainability can promote ecological awareness and environmental citizenship. Methodologically, this qualitative participatory study was conducted throughout 2024, with two weekly sessions across four bimesters, covering the themes “Indigenous Peoples,” “Body and Style,” “Land and Life,” and “Childhood and Society.” Activities included agroecology workshops, composting, creation of exsiccatae, fairs, and sustainable irrigation systems. Results indicate the development of critical and collaborative attitudes, the strengthening of cultural identity, and enhanced dialogue between the university and the community. The study concludes that university extension, anchored in “living earth” pedagogies, provides fertile ground for transformative and socially relevant educational practices.