1. Guidecraft Chosen by Brazilian
Visionary as Toy Partner for Inner City
Tests to Prove Impact of Proper Brain
Stimulation
Brazilian preschool educator, Glaucia Macial, creates
test to prove that providing the right toys in the
first years of life can change a child's future
there is huge potential for social impact
TUXEDO PARK, NY (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 06, 2015
Glaucia Maciel, owner of 2 progressive preschools in Brazil (STEPS Baby Lounge), has
always known that if underprivileged kids were also exposed to the right tools and toys
to stimulate their brain in the first couple of years of life, their destiny could change.
Realizing that her theory is supported by many top early childhood education specialists
from all over the world, she set out to find a like-minded financial partner to help her
prove it. Enter, Grand Challenges Canada, whose Saving Brains grants have been set up

2. for this very purpose. She presented her ideas and methodology, collected over 14 years
of running preschools, to the committee, calling it Steps Brain Booster Program.
In the Steps Brain Booster methodology, babies divide their time between activities that
stimulate psychomotor skills, artistic expression and musical sensitivity. Kits would
provide 200 toys and 48 lessons plans to train the teachers at pilot test schools in 3 of
the poorest communities in Sao Paulo.
Key to the success of the proposed program, was to find a high quality educational toy
company willing to provide the majority of toys needed for these special kits. If the
project later rolled out, that same company needed to have mechanisms in place to be
able to distribute the toys or kits all over the world in an efficient manner. When Glaucia
discovered Guidecraft, she knew it was a perfect fit. Guidecraft, in turn, was more than
pleased to help with such a worthy cause.
Now that Grand Challenges has funded the pilot test, which is currently running in Brazil,
Glaucia and Guidecraft are looking to the future and planning for a successful outcome.
The President of Grand Challenges Canada, Peter Singer, says he sees huge potential for
social impact. Brazil alone has 16 million households with children under 6 years old.
According to Singer, the global trend in the study of child development has changed
focus. Before devoted to child survival, “the aim now is to create opportunities for them
to thrive and break cycles of poverty.” Led by visionary Glaucia Maciel, Guidecraft is
delighted to be a part of just that.
Learn more details about the Steps Brain Booster Program
at http://www.savingbrainsinnovation.net/projects/0726-03/.