Meu Hey trains American high school volunteers to lead small-group English conversation sessions for students in Brazilian public schools and community programs. A local teacher runs the room. Our volunteers bring the conversation.
Dica para o professor: deixe os alunos responderem primeiro em frases curtas. Os voluntários ajudam a completar.
of public school English teachers in Brazil have no specific training to teach the subject.
British Council Observatory for English Teaching in Brazil, 2020of those teachers also teach other subjects, and most teach English to more than six classes a week.
British Council Observatory for English Teaching in Brazil, 2020grade is when most public school students first study English. Private school students start years earlier.
"O ensino de inglês na educação pública brasileira," British Council, 2015A Brazilian classroom joins a Meu Hey video session from one laptop or phone, shown on a TV or projector.
A pair of trained US volunteers runs that week's conversation card with a group of four to six students.
The Brazilian teacher stays in the room and a Meu Hey adult host stays in the call the whole time.
Lezma Foundation confirms attendance and issues signed service-hour records to each volunteer.
In Bahia, people greet everyone, friends and strangers alike, as meu rei: "my king." It is the warmest hello in Brazil. We swapped one word for the first word of English most students learn. Say it "MEH-oo hey."
We are now talking with Brazilian schools and community organizations, and building our volunteer training. Join the interest list and we will contact you when sessions open. We will publish what the pilot teaches us, including what does not work.
Lead small-group conversation sessions online, earn documented service hours, and work with a classroom in another country. No teaching experience required. We train you.
Brasília runs 2 hours ahead of US Eastern Time from November to March, and 1 hour ahead the rest of the year. Central Time is one hour earlier than Eastern, Pacific three. Planned windows:
| Window | Brazil (Brasília) | US Eastern | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday clubs | 10:00 | 8:00 (Nov to Mar), 9:00 (rest of year) | School year |
| Evening classes | 19:30 | 17:30 (Nov to Mar), 18:30 (rest of year) | School year |
| Summer mornings | 13:30 to 16:00 | 12:30 to 15:00 | June to August |
Exact times depend on each partner school's schedule.
These rules protect you and the students you work with. Breaking one ends your participation.
O Meu Hey, programa da Lezma Foundation, conecta turmas brasileiras a voluntários do ensino médio dos Estados Unidos, treinados para conduzir rodas de conversação em inglês. O professor continua no comando da sala. Os alunos ganham prática real de fala.
Estamos selecionando as primeiras instituições parceiras. Preencha o formulário e entraremos em contato.
Lezma Foundation is a Texas nonprofit corporation based in Cedar Park, recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). We started with a focus on hunger in Brazil and have refocused on education through Meu Hey, where online tools and volunteers let a small organization reach students directly.
Donations are processed by Zeffy. Lezma Foundation is a 501(c)(3); gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.