2015 Master Teachers: Maria Cristina Zamith Cunha

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

"My name is Maria Cristina Zamith Cunha. I am Brazilian, from Rio de Janeiro.

I am a biologist, master degree in Ecology, and a Science Teacher, with almost 30 years experience teaching middle and high school students, working as an Environmental Education Specialist, as well.

At my current school, a public school from Rio de Janeiro City Hall, Ginásio Carioca Orsina da Fonseca, located nearby Tijuca Forest National Park, I work with students – age 11 to 15 years old – developing projects that priorize sustainability, from the perspective of Science, Technology and Society.

My school is part of UNESCO’s ASPnet schools project, since 2012 and we have, also, worked under New York City Hall Global Partners Junior Program, where the students participating  used a  platform, talking online with another students from all over the world, learning and sharing information, under environmental issues.

I found the opportunity to be a GLOBE teacher unique, as it will improve my work and will enable me to increase my background, as well as to become a link between GLOBE initiatives and my students, what represents a huge challenge, but also will make possible to get in touch with all this universe GLOBE provides.

I have to mention that, as a teenager, due to my father’s job, I lived, along with my family, in Bel Air, Maryland, for almost 2 years: so I learned English as a second language, and the whole experience is part of my life."