PROCESSES OF RE-EXISTENCE THROUGH LETTERS EXCHANGE BETWEEN ADOLESCENTS AT FUNDAÇÃO CASA AND EDUCATORS FROM SESC’S YOUTH PROGRAM IN SÃO PAULO

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the exchange of letters between adolescents serving
socio-educational confinement measures in the Fundação Casa units of Santo André and
Diadema and the educational team of Sesc Santo André during the covid-19 pandemic. This
exchange is interpreted as a process of “re-existence” that strengthened the narratives and
identities of the confined adolescents, as described in the research project Letters to CASA:
Reflections on the Meanings of School for Youth in Conflict with the Law (Pelvini, 2024)
supervised by Juliana Fonseca de Oliveira Neri. The research outlines a pedagogical initiative
that ensured the continuity of educational actions with this group during social isolation,
respecting their specificities and emphasizing the importance of listening to and valuing
adolescents’ perspectives on their identities and futures. The article describes the qualitative
and participatory approach of the research, grounded in the concepts of curricular justice
(Ponce; Neri, 2017) and socio-education (Souza Neto, 2018), discussing the resulting processes
of “re-existence”. It also highlights the role of Fundação Casa and Sesc in São Paulo in
strengthening a basic education curriculum that ensures the persistence and well-being of
these adolescents. The article’s concluding remarks suggest that valuing youth cultural
expressions can contribute to building new trajectories for adolescents and young people
serving socio-educational measures.