Pathways to Preschool
About the project
Preschool paths
The Pathways to Preschool project, the result of a partnership between J-PAL Latin America and the Caribbean, Bracell Foundation, Itaú Social, academia and the public sector, aims to strengthen learning and the development of children in preschool.
Our objectives
With the overall goal of generating evidence for high-quality public early childhood education, we aim to:
- Build partnerships between third-sector organizations, academia, and the public sector;
- Implement promising preschool programs, contributing to the ongoing training and pedagogical practices of early childhood education teachers;
- Generate knowledge and evidence to support the scaling of programs that prove to be effective;
- Contribute to the quality and equity of early childhood education services in Brazil.
Who we are
Partner organizations
The project is the result of a partnership between organizations that joined efforts to generate evidence for planning the path to scale of initiatives that can strengthen child development and learning in preschool.
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that public policies are based on scientific evidence. J-PAL co-founders Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, along with longtime J-PAL affiliate Michael Kremer, received the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics for their approach to poverty alleviation.
Fundação Bracell is a non-governmental organization that seeks to leverage the transformative power of early childhood education to develop people's full potential and improve their lives. To this end, it supports and develops initiatives focused on early childhood education, the age group that lays the foundation for full human development.
Itaú Social is dedicated to improving learning and educational outcomes in preschool and the final years of elementary school, reducing inequalities based on race/color, gender, disability, and socioeconomic status.
Our partners
The project occurs in collaboration with state and municipal Departments of Education in São Paulo, Bahia, and Mato Grosso do Sul, as well as representative entities, public sector organizations, early childhood education professionals, and academics.
How we work
Phase 1 (2024)
Start of building partnerships with state and municipal Departments of Education, contributing to the work in collaboration between states and municipalities, literature review, and selection of promising preschool.
Phase 2 (2025–2026)
Implementation and impact evaluation of preschool programs aligned with the National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC) and the National Curriculum Guidelines for Early Childhood Education.
Phase 3 (2027–2028)
Support for technology transfer and adaptation for scale up of programs with proven positive impact.
Learn more about the preschool programs
Kernels Program
Aims to intentionally strengthen the development of children's social-emotional skills (such as identifying, expressing, and managing emotions; interpersonal skills; growth mindset; and responsible decision-making) through a set of short activities based on teacher practices and easily adaptable to various preschool settings. The impact evaluation, coordinated by J-PAL network researcher, Alejandro Ganimian, will be conducted in 200 preschools to analyze the program's effects on children's social-emotional development.
Team: Alejandro Ganimian, Ana Colagrossi, Stephanie Jones
Learn more: https://easel.gse.harvard.edu/news-and-resources/kernels
CuriousMind Program
Aims to promote the development of social-emotional skills and mathematical concepts for children in the final year of early childhood education through playful activities that are easily integrated into teachers' pedagogical practices. The impact evaluation, coordinated by J-PAL LAC network researcher, Luiz Scorzafave, i will assess the program’s effects on children’s social-emotional development and mathematical skills.
Team: Luiz Scorzafave, Chrissie Ferreira de Carvalho, Nara Cortes Andrade, Neander Abreu, Bianca Becker, Ana Rita Barbosa
Highlights from our path
2024
National public call for implementers of preschool programs in Brazil
Request for proposals
Blog post
2025
Sharing Experiences with Esther Duflo, Founder of J-PAL and Nobel Prize in Economics
Partners of the “Pathways to Preschool” project, the Curiosamente program team, and Esther Duflo gathered to exchange experiences regarding the implementation and impact evaluation of the Math Games, a program, which was adapted to the Brazilian context and named “CuriousMind” in Brazil.
Members of J-PAL (Esther Duflo, Claudia Macias, Priscila Costa e Élida de Aquino), Insper (Cristine Pinto), Fundação Bracell (Alejandra Velasco, Filomena Siqueira e Eduardo Queiroz), Itaú Social (Denilson Aluizio), research team ( Luiz Scorzafave e Roberta Loboda), and implementing partners(Chrissie Carvalho e Nara Côrtes) at Insper. Credits: J-PAL LAC
Workshop on Communication and Development of a Work Plan for the Implementation and Impact Evaluation of the Curiosamente Program
Partners of the “Pathways to Preschool” project and the Curiosamente program team came together for a workshop on communication using clear and accessible language for public leaders, and for the collaborative development of the project’s work plan, led by Priscila Costa, Research and Policy Manager at J-PAL LAC.
Members of J-PAL LAC ( Élida e Priscila), Fundação Bracell (Filomena Siqueira), Itaú Social (Denilson Aluizio), Research team ( Luiz Scorzafave e Roberta Loboda), and implementing partners(Chrissie Carvalho e Nara Côrtes) no Insper. Credits: J-PAL LAC.
Project team
Management team
Made up of representatives from partner organizations, the management team is responsible for strategic decision-making and operational implementation of the project.
Paula Pedro
Paula Pedro – Executive Director at J-PAL LAC
Priscila Costa
Research and Policy Manager at J-PAL LAC
Cristine Pinto
Scientific Advisor to the project, J-PAL Affiliate, Co-scientific Director at J-PAL LAC, Research Director at Insper
Filomena Siqueira
Project Director at Bracell Foundation
Eduardo Queiroz
Executive Director at Bracell Foundation
Fernanda Seidel Oliveira
Manager of Evaluation and Prospection at Itaú Social
Valdecy Rodrigo Do Nascimento
Coordinator of Evaluation and Prospection at Itaú Social
Denilson Aluizio da Silva
Evaluation and Prospection Analyst at Itaú Social