ABRACE is a unique organization and is ground-breaking in the field of heritage language. Congratulations on 20 years! As a donor, I am pleased that the organization leverages volunteers to keep administration expenses low - the programs and children benefit from the contributions.
ABRACE does what its name implies: embrace (or abraço, in Portuguese) every child and every family with its warm welcome and inclusive content and approach to education. This organization is an inspiration to many others in the US and abroad.
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ABRACE is a community that hugs each and every family with open arms and offers each and every child opportunities to learn and make friends. At the end of the day, parents and their kids are part of a big family where we have fun and support each other, helping us all nurture the (much needed) sense of belonging.
Wow! I heard ABRACE will be celebrating 20 years next year! It’s a well-deserved accomplishment! They have been a source of inspiration and support for me and my family. It does feel like “our home away from home”. Thank you, ABRACE!
What a friendly, welcome cultural and educational environment. A true cultural extension of Brazil where the aim is not only to reinforced the Portuguese heritage language, but also to cultive it through an array of lessons, books, music, and great teachers that encourage even children that speak very little Portuguese with their own Brazilian parents.
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Abrace has been an essential part of our Brazilian/ American family. It nurtures a friendly, and fun environment where our 3 kids can cultivate and maintain not only the Portuguese language as well their cultural ties to Brazil through reading , fun games and activities. It really serves us as a cultural bridge as we transitioned from move back from Brazil to the USA, and Abrace has been essential to maintaining healthy ties to Brazil. Our children look forward to every Saturday morning classes.
As a multicultural family with ties to Brazil, we have found a very welcoming community at Abrace. Our twins have been attending the monthly events since they were babies, and are now enrolled in the weekly toddler classes. We cannot say enough positive things about the whole staff. We have noticed the kids speaking Portuguese more often at home, and I have to credit Abrace for creating an environment where they can "be Brazilian" with other bilingual kids, even if only for a few hours. We hope to be a part of Abrace for as long as we live in the DMV area.
Both my kids attend Abrace and I cannot be happier to be part of this community. My oldest is part of Projov ( a volunteer opportunity for teenagers to promote the Brazilian culture and language and to be involved in different projects). My youngest is taking Portuguese classes. The classes are fun and students learn about the Brazilian culture and language by engaging in hands on activities. Abrace is like our Brazilian home in the US. It is also a great place for me to connect with others from the Brazilian Community.
ABRACE has a special place on our family. My three U.S. born children speak Portuguese fluently because of ABRACE. From Saturday classes to Carnaval and "Festa Junina" celebrations, they have been exposed to our music, food, culture and customs from early on. My children have learned to love and embrace (ABRACE in Portuguese) all things Brazilian. They are proud to say that although they were born in Washington, D.C., they are BRAZILIAN. That is a precious gift ABRACE has given our family. We are forever grateful. THANK YOU ABRACE!!!!
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My three children have been a part of ABRACE since they were the McLean Baptist Church. It is wonderful to have a place where they see other children with the same background and challenges. I am very proud to say they speak Portuguese fluently and are very proud of their heritage. It makes me feel great as a parent when we go to visit family in Brazil and they can communicate with the grandparents, uncles/aunts and cousins without any barriers. ABRACE is part of our family.
It has been about 8 years since we’ve joined Abrace - my kids learned the language, made lots of good friends and connected with Brazilian culture in a deep level. I am so grateful for this nonprofit and the beautiful work it does.
Abrace os a valuable association. Providing not just Portuguese Brasilian language and culture but a community that really embrace families. I was a teacher and a mom who enjoyed very much the classes and noticed huge improvement on kids knowledge and happiness in contact with others in love with Brazil. Thank you Abrace.
ABRACE is an amazing nonprofit where I have the pleasure of teaching Portuguese as a heritage language to 6-year-old children. It’s a family where we support each other as a community to achieve the organization’s mission to keep our language and culture alive. So proud to be part of it!
Abrace is a place where my 3rd culture sons feel like they belong. It is professional and well-run, and I feel listened to as a client. It is a place where the vibe is always happy and you always feel welcomed. Abrace teaches not only Brazilian culture, but citizenship and tolerance. Both my teenage and pre-teen sons enjoy their time there, which is not an easy feat to achieve with a Saturday morning class!
ABRACE is a wonderful nonprofit! We love going each Saturday and to see the joy on our kids' faces. The people are so fun and the experience is incredible for the kids to be immersed in Portuguese. We would love to see ABRACE grow even larger! The picture was from the Cultural Fair last semester, which was amazing!
Eu estou muito feliz com ABRACE! É uma ONG maravilhosa e faz um trabalho de grande valor que é fazer com que as crianças tenham laços fortes com o Brasil e a íngua portuguesa. Os professores são exelentes, atenciosos e divertidos. Minha filha adora participar nas atividades da ABRACE e faz um ano que ela está frequentando. Os sábados são melhores quando tem ABRACE! Ela aprende muito, faz novos amigos e se diverte bastante! Eu recomendo a ABRACE para todos os pais que querem oferecer uma experiência enriquecedora sobre a cultura brasileira e o português para seus filhos!
Abrace is an amazing organization made up of wonderful people. They strive to create a rich community dedicated to Brazilian heritage. We have been involved for 4yrs now and it's been great for us and our child.
We have wonderful events as well as classes which are attended everyweek. This year we will be visiting Brazil with our daughter. It's her first time and I think Abrace has been instrumental in her learning about the culture.
Abrace has been fundamental in my daughters' education and growing sense of identity. As a Brazilian married to an American, I was looking for a community that would help me teach an appreciation of my culture to my daughters. Abrace does a fantastic job at that in addition to teaching them Portuguese as a heritage language. I have made many friends along the years and can't recommend Abrace enough.
I was so excited to find out we had such an amazing place like ABRACE near our new home when we moved to Virginia! I was looking for more opportunities to expose our daughters to my native language and culture, and this is truly the right place for that! My 4 year old daughter looks forward to her “Portuguese school” all week long!
ABRACE is our Brazilian home away from home. I have felt so lonely in the journey of passing on my culture and language to my children, but since I found ABRACE, I felt surrounded by support and community - we share the commitment of making our children fall in love with the culture and language, and keep that treasure alive. I feel so lucky to have them in our area and be able to be a part of this community! Thank you for all you do and your willingness to always take feedback and improve.
I have joined Abrace three years ago. Year after year the institution gets stronger. Volunteers, teachers and management are passionate. This creates the best environment for our kids to learn and grow the interest about Brazil and the Portuguese. I am fortunate to have Abrace close by, and value the efforts of all to make an wonderful experience for all every Saturday morning.
ABRACE has been our little “piece” of Brazil in USA. My two boys, one in college, another in senior year, have been part of ABRACE since its foundation and we know that ABRACE is one of the reasons for how well integrated they are into Brazilian culture and for the support on our efforts to keep them speaking Portuguese living in USA. Thank you, ABRACE.
ABRACE provides an exceptional environment for my daughter to immerse herself in the richness of Brazilian culture and language. It serves as a valuable platform for her to connect with her roots and deepen her understanding of Portuguese in a welcoming and nurturing setting.
Abrace is such a great organization. They showcase best of Brazilian culture and reinforce family, discipline, diversity and inclusion. It benefits both kids, parents and the community.
ABRACE does an incredible job in teaching kids about all things Brazil. From folklore to sports, current events, games while doing so in Portuguese.
My child's understanding of my native culture has exploded thanks to ABRACE.
ABRACE is a great opportunity to children exercise Portuguese language and, even more, they can share there lives and culture with each other. In the classes, children get to know many things about Brazil, its culture and people, that is so important to keep alive their language and their love for Brazil.
An excellent environment where kids learn and keep our Brazilian culture and language alive! A place where we find heartful teachers, passionate staff, and a great sense of community!
It has been a few 2-3 years since my daughter (currently 6 years old) started Portuguese classes at Abrace. She absolutely loves the classes, the topics that have been worked on, classmates, and of course, the teachers. She is very excited to join Abrace every Saturday. In addition to the classes, where children are encouraged to speak Portuguese - which is great because they can get used to Portuguese outside of their homes - Abrace has a library system with a large number of books in Portuguese. So, we get excited to get books in Portuguese and take them home so we can read together. Also, all celebrations that happen in the Abrace are a great opportunity to get together with all participating in the Abrace and those that are interested to join Abrace. I am grateful for being part of Abrace!
Abrace has been in my life for over 10 years now. I started as a teacher and fell in love with the institution and community right away. Today as a parent I can't thank the members of the ABRACE team enough for bringing Portuguese and Brazil a little closer to my family. To see my daughters excited about speaking Portuguese and counting the days of the week to get closer to "abrace day". For them to come home and say : I wish the class was longer " brings me so much joy and it is all because of the great community ABRACE has built.
Much more than Portuguese as a heritage language is a place of love and friendships. Abrace is much more than a school it is a community and I am thankful and grateful for.
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ABRACE is an amazing place for us Brazilian expats. I started going to ABRACE as a teacher and now both my daughters take Portuguese classes there. Is a place where they see our language goes beyond them and me and they can learn more of our culture as well as making new friends.
I love ABRACE's work and hope this organization never stops spreading the love for our language and country!
I’ m a teacher at ABRACE and I love it. Our culture is very rich and having the opportunity to pass it forward to our little ones makes me really happy and proud of my country. I can see close all the efforts that everyone put to bring a little bit from our amazing Brazilian roots. I love going to school every Saturdays. People always have a smile on their face and super welcoming.
ABRACE is piece of Brazil in the United States. Every Saturday for a couple of hours we dive in the language and culture of Brazil. I have experienced how the students learn and develop their Portuguese so well. It is so good to see the kids progression!!!
Eu comecei na Abrace há pouco tempo, mas o ambiente alegre e positivo me cativou desde o primeiro momento. A administração é organizada e está sempre disposta a dar o suporte necessário para os professores e os pais dos alunos para que possamos alcançar nosso objetivo em comum: incutir nos pequenos o senso de pertencimento dentro da cultura e língua brasileiras. Foi maravilhoso participar da reunião pedagógica e ver como toda equipe é engajada em criar eventos, aulas e atividades criativas e atrativas para os alunos. A Abrace é um reflexo do que nós como brasileiros temos de melhor e eu estou amando fazer parte desse time.
My wife and I lived in Brazil for several years and made it a goal to keep speaking Portuguese and visit Brazil as often as possible. After having kids, we wanted keep Brazil alive and well in our home by exposing them to as much Brazilian culture as possible and to teach them Portuguese. We were overjoyed when we discovered Abrace, and love that there is a community to reinforce all things Brazilian for our kids! Our daughter enjoys every class and loves her teachers. Every session is a blessing, and we thoroughly enjoy the library of Brazilian children's literature that we can rent and read throughout the week. Abrace is wonderful, and we look forward to being part of this community each year!
Abrace is a fantastic organization that brings the Brazilian Community together with our language, culture and families!
Abrace is a wonder for Brazilians to keep in touch with Portuguese culture and language. I participated for about 3 years and I think the work is fantastic, especially for younger children.
ABRACE is an outstanding nonprofit organization — the only one in the Washington DC metro area to promote Brazil’s culture. My two children have been attending Saturday language and culture classes for several years. My kids come home and talk about songs and traditions that I grew up with. They are proud to be Brazilian and to speak Portuguese. ABRACE is made possible by the hard work and passion of very talented individuals for whom I am most grateful.
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My two daughters have been attending the Portuguese as a heritage language classes at ABRACE for four years. ABRACE is a welcoming place where my kids have a chance to not only practice the language every week, but also meet with others in our community and develop a sense of identity. They feel at home with teachers who greet them with a big smile and friends who, like them, speak the same language, have vovôs and primos (grandparents and cousins) in Brazil, who read the same comics and eat the same food. Our Saturdays are filled with joy and warmth. Thank you to the amazing team of administrators who have been growing this organization and the teachers who are endlessly dedicated and passionate about passing on our language and culture to the next generation!
My kids feel "at home" when they are at ABRACE or with "amigos" from ABRACE anywhere else. They feel they belong to a community that is welcoming, warm and are like themselves in making sense of their multicultural and bilingual lives. Yes, they are encouraged to speak Portuguese all the time over there and in our home, but they also feel that they are valued, respected and supported when having difficulties expressing themselves in Portuguese. It's alright. No judgement. We are together on this. We recommend and support ABRACE all the way!
Showing up for Abrace is like going home every weekend. A great place for shared culture, shared past and hope for the future in our new home in the U.S.
My two daughters attended the Projovem for almost 3 years. This teenager group has been doing amazing volunteer at the ABRACE. Abrace is a welcoming place where the kids not only practice the Portuguese, but they have the opportunity to be in contact with their culture and so much more! Thank you to the amazing team of members, teachers and friends who have been supporting this organization with professionalism, commitment, and love!
We took our child out of this class because the teacher continued to allow the boys to speak in English during the class. Our child has a private online tutor from Brazil. We spoke to the Director about this problem, it was talked about in class, but there was no enforcement.
My 3 children have attended ABRACE, it has been part of our lives for at least 7 years! The school has provided us with a bit of Brazil in the DC area: the language, the culture, the people, food, festivities, even a whole mobile library! ABRACE is the work of many incredibly dedicated people and deserves all of our recognition and support to continue to serve so many families in the journey of keeping our culture and heritage alive for this and next generations. Thank you, ABRACE!
I have been connected to ABRACE in the last 2 years. It is a piece of Brazil in Washington DC area. My students and I (the adult class) have a lot of fun! What I hear most from them is how they feel welcomed and immersed in Brazilian culture. For me, as an educator, is a wonderful place to work and share my heritage!
ABRACE has been essential to nurturing and growing our children's Brazilian heritage while living in the USA. I think it would have been very difficult for me to maintain speaking Portuguese at home without ABRACE. I did not have huge expectations when we signed up for class, but this group of Brazilian (mostly) moms absolutely blew me away!!! The coordination and execution of the weekly Portuguese/ Brazilian cultural classes is amazing. A lot of love goes into the weekly classes, but also an incredible amount of professionalism and high-quality teaching. And they think of everything - a meet up room where parents can work if they want to stick around during classes (because families like us drive from pretty far to be a part of the group!), an extensive library of books in Portuguese, a really impressive youth volunteer program, workshops about speaking Portuguese at home, a story time for infants, a book fair, a Carnaval parade, a reading program, and just a really welcoming and great group of people!
ABRACE has been a beacon of Brazilian culture and education that has helped my wife and I--both Brazilian immigrants--give our six year old daughter the opportunity to learn, speak, and interact with other bicultural kids in the DC Metro region. We have been participating for over three years and can't say enough good things about the dedication of the teachers, the events that are promoted, and resources available (e.g., the small--but wonderful--mobile library filled with books for various age groups). Our daughter loves coming here.
ABRACE is very important to the Brazilian community and American-Brazilian families living in the states of DC-MD-VA because it is the only organization in this area that teaches Brazilian Portuguese language and culture. The impact of ABRACE in our lives goes beyond the "knowledge" about Brazilian language and culture, it creates, especially in young people a sense of identity and belonging that help shape their character for life.
Both my children have attended ABRACE. It's not just a school where they learn Portuguese; it's a place where they can experience Brazil outside Brazil. It's where we meet our Brazilian community in the Washington area, where we feel at home. It's run by dedicated directors, teachers, directors, and volunteers, who work hard to pass on our language, culture, and traditions to our children. I highly recommend ABRACE.
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Imagine you are all alone trying to teach the language of your parents, your country, your heart to your children. You are determined. You see it as your mission. But the odds are against you.
I am from Brazil. I didn't grow up watching baseball and celebrating Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean I come from nothing. The richness of where I come from -- my language, my culture, my history and my parents -- is what I can give to my children.
Enter Abrace, an organization of people who will have your back and think of everything to help you in this task that is so much more than simply teaching Portuguese.
Your little one is more of a sports guy and will connect with Brazil via soccer? Abrace offers a soccer class. Your children need access to books in Portuguese? Abrace launches a library. It is Children's Day ? It organizes a celebration.
Yes, thanks to Abrace, my 13-year-old is confident in his writing and has a renewed interest in reading in Portuguese. But, just as important, he loves Abrace and he learns Portuguese while having FUN (is there really another way to learn?).
Abrace makes my mission so much easier. I am not alone.
Todos juntos somos fortes
Somos flecha e somos arco
Todos nós no mesmo barco
Não há nada pra temer!
Abrace is one of the only organizations in the Washington area that promotes Brazilian culture, specifically focused on children. In my experience the teachers are excellent, the classes are well organized, and the cost of the classes is very reasonable. Getting involved in Abrace is a great way to ensure your children get a little bit of a Brazilian education while they are here in the U.S.
ABRACE is the perfect complement and extension of Brazil for my family. Brazil is so rich in many aspects and I can only give them what I know from my home state Minas Gerais. Abrace adds to what I give to them in terms of culture, music, literature, etc. My 3 children are bilingual and when people ask me why they go to a Brazilian school since they already speak Portuguese, my answer is always the same, the Brazilian Portuguese language and culture is the the most precious gift I can give to my Children. Rafael, Gabriela and Luiza go to ABRACE to learn more about Brazil, and not just the Portuguese language. They are there to learn music, folklore, culture, literature, theater, food, etc in Portuguese from all parts of Brazil.
My kids love ABRACE and they are there since 2 1/2 years old. They are now 11, 10, and 8 years old. Thanks ABRACE for being such a wonderful extension of our beloved Brasil!!!
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ABRACE is part of my family. Every week, ABRACE gives to my kids what I can not fully give them during the week - our rich and diverse Brazilian culture. My kids are fluent in Portuguese and the older ones are already reading in Portuguese. They don't go to ABRACE to learn Portuguese, because this is my job, as a mother. My native language is the least I can give to my kids. ABRACE gives them our culture and our passion for our country and flag. At ABRACE, they are exposed to our folclore, our arts, our music, our customes, our lingo. It is the only place where they will find other people just like them in a different country. ABRACE gives them an identity. It shows our kids that it is, not only ok, but cool to speak Portugues and be Brasileiro. I feel very proud as a parent to be able to give them this amazing gift.
At ABRACE they were able to meet Pedro Bandeira, a famous writer in Brazil; they were able to see a performance from the Brazilian Artistic Group Emcantar, from Minas Gerais (our native state), right here in the DC area.
This is ABRACE, the best we can get from our Brazil in the USA.
ABRACE has made possible for me and my family, especially my children, to stay connected and in direct contact with our heritage, language, and culture. It provides an opportunity for the Brazilian community to gather and work towards the same goal which is to maintain the Brazilian language and culture alive in the lives of children and teenagers living outside Brazil. At the same time, it provides an opportunity for families to socialize and interact. Some of my best friends I found through ABRACE. It is also worthwhile mentioning that ABRACE serves an important role in connecting the community with the local Brazilian Embassy and Consulate, often offering programs in partnership with them such as sessions (usually speeches or talks) on a variety of topics that are of interest to the Brazilian community living in the greater DC area.
Abrace is an outstanding nonprofit organization. As it claims, Abrace works towards preserving and promoting Brazilian education and cultural and social integration in the Brazilian community with the aim of strengthening its identity within the United States. And it does so beautifully! From the passion of its founders to the amount of work to keep it running, this nonprofit deserves recognition for the amazing work they do! I am grateful for having them for my family, for my children.
ABRACE is one of the best things that happened in my life living in the US. It makes me feel like I am in Brazil even being miles away. I made amazing friends, and my kids beg to go to Portuguese school. They wish it was available every day of the week, and not only on Saturdays. It helps them practice their Portuguese and get closer to the Brazilian culture. I love hear them singing and playing in portuguese. I am very grateful for being part of this community!
The ABRACE assists and develops transmission of knowledge about the culture and the Portuguese language. Important for all of us who live far from our country and we want to be in touch with our culture, we move on to our children how to be Brazilian. Language is culture. There is no other form of description. Understanding more comprehensive and profound way what language, what is culture and what identity is fundamental to all of us.
In this paper transmitter and disseminator of Brazilian culture ABRACE is fundamental in our lives.
ABRACE is a serious and committed association focused on teaching the heritage of Portuguese language. It is a pleasure that every Saturday I can be reunited with loved ones that are dedicated and hardworking that teach the wonders of the Brazilian culture. It is beautiful to see our little ones so interested in learning about Brazil and its culture. I have been a teacher at ABRACE for several years and I am proud to belong to this fantastic Brazilian educational community.
Abrace plays a very important role in our lives as a Brazilian-American family. Our daughter has the opportunity to learn about Brazilian culture while practicing her Portuguese. Most importantly she is exposed to an environment with families of a similar background, and to Portuguese-speaking children of her age. Our family contributes to Abrace through volunteering, and my husband is also taking language classes. We hope Abrace continues to enrich our experience as a bilingual family for years to come.
ABRACE is more than a Portuguese school for little Brazilian-Americans. It is a place where Americans can go not only to learn Portuguese but to get immersed in the Brazilian culture. This is helpful for people traveling to the country for business or tourism purposes alike. There are several high level Brazilian executives that have kids in this school so the professional networking can be powerful. My son is making life-long friendships and keeping Brazil alive in his heart. ABRACE is an unique place, led by passionate and committed parents and kept vibrant by the love of the community.
ABRACE is a magical place where all the magic happens in Portuguese! I feel closer to Brasil every Saturday morning where I get to see all these amazing people I met 2 years ago, when I started working at ABRACE!
It is wonderful to be able to pass the Brazilian culture, language, music, geography and so much more to my students in such a friendly and rich environment!
Abrace does a great job teaching Portuguese as a heritage language. There people have helped me and my family to find a sense of community. The activities are related to cultural diversity and sense of community for Brazilian people in Washington DC Area. My social life is better and happier after Abrace.
Abrace's children program helps bridge the gap between my cultural background as a person born in Brazil and my children's (born and raised in the USA). It is a place where our first generation American children can find other kids who share a similar experience and enjoy their Brazilian heritage.
As an American who has had the opportunity and privilege of having lived in and travelled to a plurality of global locations, I can unhesitatingly say that my acquisition of the languages and cultures of the people that I love is strongly tied to embracing and being embraced by a family. Just as Brazil is a very welcoming country, so is Abrace, which embraces families and provides the cultural and language community that help families deepen the bonds that foster language synthesis and cultural appreciation. My family loves the Abrace family and have been members of Abrace since 2013, when we returned to the US, after having lived for a number of years in Brazil.
ABRACE is amazing. It does only get the kids engage in learning g portuguese; ABRACE teaches our children to love and respect our culture, our language, our people
ABRACE is indeed an extension of our family.
ABRACE is the best. My 2 older kids love Saturday morning when they get to meet their brazilian friends a speak our language. My little one is 3 years old but can't wait to get started
ABRACE is much more then a portuguese school. ABRACE is part of our FAMILY.
A Abrace, para mim, está diretamente relacionada à proximidade com o Brasil de uma maneira singular. A possibilidade de falar, escrever, pensar, ressignificar conceitos, em Português, faz com que eu me sinta mais próxima de casa.
Apesar dos muitos anos de experiência em educação e do muito que vi, me encanto, me espanto e me emociono com o beleza do trabalho, com o comprometimento e, sobretudo, com a história de vida desse lugar que oferece um pedaço de Brasil a todos nós.
A animação das crianças, nos sábados de manhã, a alegria com que vão para as aulas na ABRACE, onde encontram sua turma, sua família maior, a brasileira, a que fala português, é uma festa, é de um valor inestimável!
A ABRACE foi muito importante para a minha família quando chegamos aos Estados Unidos, longe de tudo e de todos.
Nos proporcionou uma convivência com outras crianças, aumentou a auto-estima, ambientou, aconchegou e consolidou toda a transição do português para o inglês e para a nova cultura.
Tive também a excelente oportunidade de trocar experiências com outras mães que já moravam aqui por mais tempo.
Tudo isso, fazendo com que ainda estivéssemos ligados ao Brasil, mesmo estando tão longe, falando em um bom e gostoso português.
Eu diria que a ABRACE é um território brasileiro em Washington/ DC, nos trazendo a deliciosa recordação dos sabores das comidas, dos cheiros das flores, das músicas folclóricas e da MPB, das brincadeiras de roda, das danças, dos esportes, dos lugares e das cidades...
My son, who is 4, has mastered Portuguese, even though everywhere on his environment English is the main language. He learned so much for the time he was taking classes at Abrace, and not just the language, but also the whole cultural heritage. The teachers are excelent and I just feel super blessed for having this little "Brazil" right here in the DC area. The tuition is very very reasonable, and the extra-curriculum activities promoted is even more enriching. Congrats to this association for the great hard work!
The work that ABRACE is doing in Washington DC is unique, they work with wonderful educators and have a profound impact in the lives of the children they work with. I particularly like to see them so involved in a constant search for knowledge in methodology and curriculum building, while at the same time, very generously, sharing their own findings rooted in their pedagogical experience. This allows for a very productive exchange between researchers and practitioners of heritage language (Portuguese) instruction, and I thank them very much for engaging in this and making us all so much better than we would be otherwise.
A ABRACE é um verdadeiro abraço! Abraço com sabor de Brasil!
É uma alegria ter participado no passado deste projeto e continuar acompanhando cada nova conquista.
Espaço de encontro e de reencontro, a ABRACE tem feito um trabalho fundamental e indispensável, não só no ensino do Português, mas como veículo de resgate social e cultural.
I have taught children`s theatre with ABRACE, and found the experience extremely rewarding. Children`s creativity amazed me during class, and all expressed themselves effectively in Portuguese, different as their levels of fluency might be.
I appreciate ABRACE`s competitive professional and cultural standards, its transparency and accountability.
Most of all, the commitment to preserving and sharing Brazilian heritage and language is extraordinary (finding a way when there appears to be none!)- in all activities, successfully combining cultural and playful elements. This is very encouraging for all Brazilians who want to feel this connectedness away from home and pass it on to our children.
I have known ABRACE for many years, first as a parent of a student and more recently as a board member. It always amazes me what this organization does with so little. As a board member, it has been a pleasure to see the organization grow, not only in the size of the student body, but also in the professionalism of its management and financial structure. I also admire the dedication of all of the professionals involved with the organization, most of whom are volunteers but also of those who receive a nominal fee but give so much more. As a parent of a student, I love that my son can learn about my culture and, more than that, understand that it is his culture too. For Brazilian children growing up outside of Brazil, who may not travel to Brazil frequently, ABRACE's work helps maintain that connection.
ABRACE is home away from home! My heart fills with so many good feelings when thinking about all that ABRACE makes possible not only to my family but to a lot of families in the DC area. It´s through ABRACE my two boys (and our little baby girl in the near future) meet with friends that they can relate to in all levels, that they can share the love not only for soccer, carnaval, and "festa junina", but also "picolé comprado na banca de revista", "água de côco", favorite beaches in Brazil and so on. It´s also where they can learn and practice their Portuguese and be just like a "native" when going to Brazil and feel and be treated like they have always lived there.
It´s not only for the kids that ABRACE is so important. Parents and the whole community have access to opportunities to socializing, learning, sharing information, building and strengthening friendships, always in a friendly environment, always with the warming and welcoming Brazilian touch.
It´s a lot of work to make all this possible. So we would like to thank all the Founders, Board Members, Directors, Teachers, Parents, Students, Business Partners and Sponsors for working like a big CARING COMMUNITY!
I have only one work to say to ABRACE: Thanks ! You have been decreased the distance through this beautiful work of perpetuating our fascinating culture beyond the borders of our country ( Brazil) . Congratulations, our children will be proud of you.
Manter a identidade do Brasil fora do Brasil, cultura, folclore, língua, enfim, o ORGULHO de sermos Brasileiros. É uma proposta que coloca esta semente em cada criança Brasileira que vive fora do Brasil. Precisamos manter nossos raizes, nosso orgulho para à Pátria amada retornar. Parabéns pela iniciativa!
Claudia
I was introduced to Abrace some years ago, and since then I'm very close to its founder, a very kind person who really does what she means to do: to get Brazilian culture, language and so on close to children who live outside Brazil and have a Brazilian family.
It's a very beautiful, useful and interesting work.
I'm proud of being Brazilian and count on such a thing like this in Washington DC.
Abrace é um pedaço do Brasil aqui na nossa região metropolitana de Washington DC. É um espaço aberto para filhos, pais e educadores se encontrarem, trocarem experiências, e aprenderem juntos sobre nossa língua, história e costumes. Na Abrace a gente constrói a cultura do Português vivo como língua de herança. Minhas duas filhas adoram a Abrace e se entristecem quando não há aula. Eu sinto muita alegria por vê-las praticando o português não só em aula mas também em brincadeiras com seus amiguinhos. Finalmente, a Abrace também proporciona uma oportunidade de encontro com minha comunidade brasileira.
A ABRACE traz o Brasil mais perto dos nossos filhos. É uma excelente opção para quem quer proporcionar à suas famílias a oportunidade de aprender, apeifeiçoar ou manter a língua portuguesa e vivenciar a cultura brasileira. Muitos de nós comentamos depois de adultos: "Ah, se meu pai tivesse falado comigo somente em italiano, hoje eu seria fluente em tres idiomas"... "Se minha mae tivesse falado comigo em chines desde pequeno, hoje eu teria melhores oportunidades profissionais...". Vejo a ABRACE como um investimento no futuro dos meus filhos. É mais um incentivo para eles darem continuidade ao esforço dos pais em casa e perceberem que falar português é uma realidade não só no próprio lar, mas no lar de todas a crianças com as quais eles convivem semanalmente na “escolinha brasileira”. -Mãe de dois alunos
Dear Reader,
I'm extremely happy for having had the opportunity to witness and to be part of ABRACE since it's very first steps. Whichever way I try to describe the wonderful transformations that the absolute majority of the kids go through soon after joining ABRACE, I can never make justice to what actually happens there. The sense of belonging and not feeling different than their regular school peers... just because they speak another language. As they interact with the other kids, they quickly realize that it is "kind of cool" to speak Portuguese. But I'm confident that the main reason behind such a great environment for both the kids and their parents, is ABRACE's approach where virtually everything it does is done taking into consideration Brazil's native language heritage, and therefore all the cultural richness that is carried along with it. This heritage based perspective is definitely a key component to ABRACE's mission and uniqueness.
It can't thank enough its teachers, students & parents, staff, volunteers and my fellow board member colleagues for the camaraderie and always so positive attitude. If you have not joined us yet, I sincerely urge you to do so and please do it sooner than later. It may not happen immediately, but YES your child or children you thank you very much having done so.
Thank you,
Dalton Luz