BMW Group Brazil and UNICEF join forces to transform the future of vulnerable youth

• Partnership focuses on young people aged 14-29, promoting STEM education and life project development
• More than 30,000 young Brazilians across three states will benefit from the initiative

São Paulo – Today, the BMW Group and UNICEF announced their partnership under the slogan entitled “BRIDGE. Educating young people for tomorrow, today” in Brazil. The programme, which will be rolled out across the States of Amazonas, Maranhão and São Paulo, aims to reach 3,000 students through in-person workshops and more than 30,000 young people through the digital platform 1MiO (One Million Opportunities). Committed to social development and the future of new generations, the BMW Group established a global partnership with UNICEF back in 2023.

In Brazil, the initiative focuses on empowering vulnerable youth aged 14 to 29 through in-person workshops and online training centred on STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), as well as life project planning.

Developing life projects is a technique that helps adolescents prepare for adult life. Young people define their personal and professional goals, considering their strengths, weaknesses, experiences and opportunities within their environment. To support this process, teachers, school administrators and members of the state education system will also be involved and trained in life project development and ways to integrate STEAM competencies and opportunities.

As a result, students and teachers will develop the competencies needed to create projects using essential STEAM-related skills, such as problem-solving and critical analysis.

Through the 1MiO ecosystem, young people will gain access to employment and income opportunities across the public and private sectors. The initiative also seeks to provide apprenticeships, internships and job placements, enabling youth to benefit directly from the BRIDGE programme. “We believe that quality education is the foundation for a fairer, more multifaceted and sustainable future. This partnership with UNICEF reflects our commitment to go beyond premium mobility and bridge the gap between schooling and working life, giving vulnerable youth access to more opportunities in the near future,” says Maru Escobedo, President & CEO of BMW Group Brazil.

“UNICEF works in Brazil to strengthen the right of every child and adolescent to a quality education that translates into opportunities. We recognize that the full development of girls and boys necessarily includes providing curricula rich in pedagogical experiences involving Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). The global partnership between UNICEF and the BMW Group, now extending to Brazil, demonstrates the importance of different sectors of society uniting to support the present and future of those who represent the great potential for transformation in our country, leaving no one behind,” said Joaquin Gonzalez-Aleman, UNICEF Representative in Brazil.

About “BRIDGE. Educating young people for tomorrow, today”

The global partnership between the BMW Group and UNICEF is a long-term collaboration announced in 2023 to help equip young people with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the future world of work. It contributes to UNICEF’s global aim of reaching children and young people each year through education. With an initial seven-year commitment, the BMW Group’s long-term support will help provide more opportunities for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education and skills development for children and young people in Brazil, South Africa, India, Mexico and Thailand. 

Further BMW Group initiatives: Plant Araquari plays important role in social commitment in Brazil

In addition to the UNICEF partnership in the States of Maranhão, Amazonas and São Paulo, the BMW Group also supports the State of Santa Catarina, where Plant Araquari has been operating since 2014. The company is committed to innovation and sustainability, playing a key role in this journey by endorsing social initiatives in Santa Catarina, especially through the BMW Group Brazil Social Centre, located at Plant Araquari. For the past ten years, the Centre has promoted education and opportunities for the local community.

BMW Group Plant Manaus opens facility to welcome students

BMW Group Plant Manaus welcomes visits from citizens through the Open Doors Free Trade Zone programme, a partnership between the BMW Group and Suframa (Superintendence of the Manaus Free Trade Zone). Public and private institutions, agencies and other interested parties can register and request a visit to the facility.

During the visit, participants have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the plant and learn about the motorcycle production process. In the future, BMW Group Plant Manaus also plans to expand its activities to include social initiatives in the State of Amazonas.

* UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.

For more information about BMW Group Brazil, click here.

Contact information:

BMW Group Brazil:
Fabiano Severo
Head of Corporate Communications BMW Group Brazil
Email: fabiano.severo@bmw.com.br

About UNICEF

UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential.

About One Million Opportunities (1MiO)

1MiO is an initiative led by UNICEF, in partnership with governments, private companies, civil society organizations, and UN agencies. The initiative aims to provide young people and adolescents aged 14 to 29, in situations of vulnerability, with access to quality education opportunities, digital skills, internet connectivity, civic participation, vocational training, and employability, through apprenticeship, internship, and job programs.