With this series of interviews, you will learn more about the team behind the implementation of Code4SP project. Issue 2 – Meet Rita Ferreira, project manager on behalf of SPEL and our Code4SP coordinator!

What’s your name and job title?

Rita Ferreira, project manager and teacher

Tell us a few words about your background:

I am a trained History teacher, specialized in Mediation and Conflict Management in School Contexts, with a special love for languages, travelling and people (not necessarily in that order!). Before I graduated, I worked as a Tour Guide in the field of Port Wine, a topic close to my heart as I grew up (and still live) in Vila Nova de Gaia, on the south bank of the Douro River, where all the cellars are located.

What organization do you work for?

SPEL – Society for the Promotion of School Establishments, Lda.

What does your organization do?

SPEL is the owner of a VET School located in Espinho that specializes in working with disregarded minorities and populations at risk of social exclusion since 1990. We have a team of psychologists and vocational counsellors working with our students the entire year to help them find their path.

What is your role in the Code4SP project? What are you currently working on?

As a project manager on behalf of SPEL, I am the proud coordinator of this fantastic project! Most of my work relates to overall management tasks, communication with the consortium and generally “guiding the troops”, making sure the quality standards and deadlines are met. As social partners, SPEL will also have an important role in involving our target group and keep them engaged in the project activities.

Why is being part of the Code4SP project important to you?

The Code4SP project is an old wish of SPEL that has finally come true! The possibility to engage people in challenging conditions in education, science, and technology to help them get back on their track is quite remarkable. As a teacher, I honestly believe education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world and to do so through coding and programming skills, which are so necessary nowadays, makes it even better!

How do you like to spend your free time?

Family means the world to me, they are my first and last thought every day, so whenever I have some free time, we are all together just enjoying ourselves, normally around a full table (the only kind we know in Portugal!). Sports is also a big part of my life, as I was a gymnast and a swimmer for most of my childhood and teen years, so practising some form of physical activity is also something I privilege in my free time.