The students of the Distance Education programs at FGV's Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (EBAPE), Mara Ermel and Ricardo Ermel, have just launched two social projects: Atmosfera and Creche Semear. The initiatives have emerged from their wish to encourage destitute children and young people to learn to read and write, as well as make them aware they should exercise their citizenship. The project Creche Semear, which is in its planning stage, seeks to teach children up to five years old of destitute communities or who are under a social risk situation to read and write, and promote working activities during the period in which their parents are working. Projeto Atmosfera, on the other hand, aims to develop ecological awareness among young people. Thirty students are currently being cared for - both from the public and the private networks. The main goal of the project [Atmosfera] is to stimulate the interest of the student in the syllabus of the course, with multidisciplinary activities, presenting them with a new perspective, explains Ricardo, student of the Technology in Managerial Processes undergraduate course. The purpose of social projects is to turn the supported families into multiplying agents of civility conducts, cordiality, respect to the environment and diversity, he concludes.