About us

The Metropolitan Educational and Cultural Foundation of Belo Horizonte was founded in 1979, completing 32 years, by a group of eleven students recently graduated from UFMG, Federal University of Minas Gerais, mostly from the School of Engineering. They had been teachers in the old Masters Degree Course, the current CIPMOI, Intensive Course of Preparation for Industrial Labor, which since 1957 has the objective of administrating professionalized teaching for workers in the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan District of Belo Horizonte’s city hall. The objective of the founders was to continue the effort after training, but by their own initiative.

To make up the initial capital each contributed 3% of their salary, an when a certain amount was reached a lot was purchased in the Industrial District in Contagem. The intention was to build there the “1st of May Professional School”. Some funds were acquired abroad and the work began. Meanwhile the founders divided into groups to administrate classes in their own neighborhoods using places like community centers, school halls and even churches. The Foundation made projects and hired teachers with the funds then available, mainly from the State Department of Labor.

This was until the mid 80’s when public funds were suspended, a fact explained by the end of the cycle of industrial growth and the demand for a qualified workforce. At that time new members were admitted and the Foundation began to focus its activities in the city of Contagem, in the RMBH, where it led a movement with the participation of 61 community organizations and tried to create an entity of UTRAMIG, University of Labor Minas Gerais. But the succession of governments disengaged in national technology eventually dismantled the entire structure which was focused on technical-professional training.

In the second half of the 80’s, the Foundation moved its operations to the city of Betim, also in RMBH. After the admission of new members to attend to local needs, it was conceived and made possible the existence of a preschool for children under 6 years old, administrated by the student’s parents: the “Cooperative school for Boys and Girls”. This school was functional until 1993, when a group of parents were summoned to serve almost entirely the project of democratic-popular management that had just established itself in the community. The challenge of the Betim’s City Hall meant to serve the entire city in a audacious and libertarian project, especially in the formation of bold public policy, and this was when the Foundation also highlighted in the field of social communication.

These activities lasted eight years, until the end of the year 2000. From there on the entity continued in existence, administering courses, seminars, signing agreements with charities and providing consulting assistance principally for public powers.