Aberje Award for undergraduates goes to Pinheiros River cleaning project

With a project titled Transparent Pinheiros, the group was highlighted among 70 students from 14 higher education institutions that competed for the award

Students in the fifth semester of the Public Relations undergraduate course at Anhembi Morumbi University, in São Paulo, won the 12th Aberje University Award (PUA). With the project called Pinheiros Transparente (Transparent Pinheiros), students Giovanna Macedo, Beatriz de Melo, and Giulia Bertassoli won first place among the six final contestants.

The winning team reports that they participated in the PUA for the first time and did not expect the result. “We were very happy when we were qualified for the second phase. Beatriz de Melo explains that the solution they found to involve the public with the cleaning of the Pinheiros River is based on transparency. “We want the transparency of a clean river, just as we think transparency of everything is important.”

Among the students’ proposals is the composition of a map of the Pinheiros River, with its tributaries and creeks, to highlight its links with the rest of the city. The idea is to show that the preservation of the river is a duty of all and not just those around them.

Held by Aberje and sponsored by Sabesp, the PUA is aimed at students regularly enrolled in undergraduate courses. The purpose of the initiative is to stimulate the development of skills for college students in a real communication case. The PUA serves as a showcase for students to show their talent to the market. For the sponsoring company, it is a great way to receive creative ideas and innovative proposals for its business challenges. In 2019, the topic was “how to engage and mobilize the population in the Pinheiros River cleaning project.”

As in previous years, the theme was not previously disclosed to the participants. Inspired by hackathons, the event takes students to a creative immersion in a short space of time. The whole process happens in two days. The award received 70 entries from 14 higher education institutions.