Abrace Inc - Brazilian Association of Culture and Education

“| Other Expenses:, Amount:| Internet & Computer, $1410| Insurance, $1300| Travel & Meetings, $2372| Office Expense and Supplies, $4784| Website Advertising Marketing, $960| Business Expenses, $9378| Payroll Taxes, $4866|”

“| Explanation:, BOYAmount:, EOYAmount:| Other assets, $15137, $23473|”

“| Explanation:, BOYAmount:, EOYAmount:| Accounts Payable, $4202, $6290| Payable Liabilities, $0, $1606| Unearned Revenues, $70110, $74763|”

“| Explanation:| BRAZILIAN HERITAGE LANGUAGE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN 2 to 17 years old. ABRACE offers Portuguese as a heritage language classes to children and grandchildren of Brazilian immigrants. An average of 150 students attended classes on Saturday mornings across the two semesters. This number has continued to increase slightly which shows a solid and recognized quality of work and dedication from all people involved. We successfully conducted in-person classes and other educational activities for children and their families. Over the years we have grown stronger with the support and participation of our families and community. We regularly host cultural and social events free of charge to the general public such as our Babies Group monthly class an opportunity for children aged 0 to 2 and their families to engage in fun educational activities while cultivating community ties and celebrating their cultural roots. Our families teachers friends and partners come together and demonstrate tremendous support by participating in the activities volunteering in events and promoting our programs. The Youth Volunteer Program ProJov established in January 2018 continued to play a vital role in supporting educational activities throughout the year. This program empowers teenagers ages 14- to 17 who are heritage speakers of Portuguese to combine their interests and talents and engage in meaningful community service activities. The program has grown a solid and motivating initiative maintaining the participation and interest of approximately 28 per semester. Participants contributed in various ways including organizing and maintaining the library assisting teachers in classrooms promoting the Ler e Bom Demais our reading incentive program volunteering at events and engaging in group discussions about socially relevant topics. The mobile library also flourished enriched by book donations that expanded its collection to over 2,000 Portuguese-language books. Serving the broader community beyond ABRACE families the library operated every other Saturday offering access to children and young adult literature storytelling sessions group discussions and book presentations. The library system Librarika recorded a circulation of approximately 1000 items every 3 months reflecting significant engagement from families seeking to enhance literacy and language skills. With over 80 reviews at the Great Nonprofit platform we have collected valuable feedback from families students teachers and volunteers attesting to the quality of services as well as emphasizing the importance of our mission and the impact of our programs in their lives.”

“| Explanation:| ACTIVITIES FOR ADULTS: ABRACE offers Brazilian Portuguese language classes for non-Portuguese speakers on a regular basis and various workshop classes and lectures throughout the year for families who live in a multicultural environment. These initiatives aim to support social and cultural integration for Brazilian-American families in the Washington Metropolitan area and beyond leveraging virtual learning opportunities established during the pandemic. Professional development for teachers is another cornerstone of our programming. Through workshops and discussions we explore topics like diversity equity inclusion and family engagement equipping teachers with modern pedagogical strategies. We also offer opportunities for adults in our community to explore the field of language development and strengthen their multicultural identity. We dedicate a separate room in the facilities we rent for holding workshops and presentations on topics of interest of the community and many of our meetings are open to the general public. This past year we partnered with another non-profit in our region Grupo Mulheres do Brasil Ncleo de Washington D.C to offer opportunities for community building and development such as group discussions and roundtables that explore different topics that reflect for instance raising third-culture kids and diversity inclusion and belonging in education.”

“| Explanation:| CULTURAL-EDUCATIONAL: We organized literacy-building activities for children and youth including the Ler e Bom Demais program. This initiative encourages children to log daily reading in Portuguese rewarding them with incentives. In 2024-2025 over 600 reading logs were submitted listing more than 5,000 booksa marked increase from previous years. ABRACE supported this effort by funding prizes and library supplies. OTHER CULTURAL PROGRAMS: Two highlights of 2025 were the Carnaval and Festa Junina held at Langley School for our students and families. These two typical cultural festivities happen in February and June respectively and represent a major cornerstone of our cultural education and social integration of our community. Other notable events included the Literacy Picnic the Independence Day assembly and the Dia do Saci parade combining Brazilian folklore with Halloween traditions. Partnerships and Collaboration We continue to maintain a strong relationship with Fairfax County Public Schools under a long-term use agreement enabling us to utilize the excellent facilities at Langley High School. This partnership provides renovated classrooms ample parking social gathering spaces and a courtyard for recreational activities. ABRACE collaborates with several local nonprofit organizations such as EducArte Abad Capoeira and Grupo Mulheres do Brasil that share similar social cultural and community service missions. By working closely with these partners we extend the reach of our programs foster greater community engagement and create a supportive network for Brazilian American families in the Washington Metropolitan area. Together these programs reflect ABRACEs ongoing commitment to empowering families strengthening cultural identity and fostering a vibrant and engaged Brazilian American community in the Washington metropolitan area.”