In the educational world, technical education plays a strategic role in regional development and expanding social inclusion in Brazil. In the North region, this instrument becomes even more important and equally challenging, given the territorial, logistical, and socioeconomic obstacles. In the state of Acre, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology (IFAC) has been active in this process. 

RBR alumnus and current dean of the institute, Fábio Storch emphasizes the importance of public policies aimed at strengthening education. With a solid track record at the institution, he has worked as a professor in the areas of technology and educational management. 

His history in education is intertwined with his life story as a whole. A child of public school, he sees education as the primary tool for social mobility. "I confess that, initially, I didn't plan on being a teacher. But being in this position today, contributing to bringing free, quality public education to thousands of people in my state, is what motivates me every day," he adds.

For Fábio, a technical or higher technology course is the only gateway to the world of work, financial independence, and the realization of dreams for most young people in the Amazon.

IFAC's performance in the Amazon region 

At the helm of IFAC, the dean emphasizes that professional education goes beyond market-ready training. In contexts like the northern region of the country, in the Amazon, it's also about ensuring citizenship, belonging, and local development. The institution operates in urban and rural areas, riverside areas, and those with limited access, expanding educational opportunities where the state has historically had a smaller presence.

"It is precisely in this context that the Federal Education Network, through institutions like IFAC, has played a fundamental role in bringing quality education to places where the state often fails to reach," explains Fábio. For him, investing in technical education in the region is investing in a more just Brazil. 

At the same time, Alumni RBR emphasizes that the challenges of ensuring adequate infrastructure and operations to deliver education are numerous. "We have studies that show that contracts and acquisitions in the region can cost up to 50% more than in other parts of the country. It is necessary to recognize this Amazonian factor in the Federal Network's budget planning," he explains.

However, even in the face of these barriers, Fábio affirms that they remain firm in their purpose of ensuring that young people and adults, from urban peripheries and riverside areas, have access to the same quality of education offered in large cities. 

Proposals to strengthen the Federal Network

Among the public policies considered priorities for strengthening Federal Institutes, the rector lists:

• Expansion of Student Assistance: focusing on transportation, food, housing, digital inclusion and psychosocial support.
• Recognition of the Amazonian factor: through financing policies that consider the additional costs of the region and in hard-to-reach areas. In addition, implementing differentiated coefficients in the budget.
• Appreciation and qualification of employees: with encouragement for continued training, permanence in areas of difficult provision and recognition of specific conditions.
• Infrastructure investment: with federal programs aimed at modernizing and maintaining units, such as the PAC (Growth Acceleration Program).
• Expansion of educational offerings: with new courses and units focused on regional vocations and encouraging applied research.
  

These measures, according to him, are essential to guarantee the full functioning of the network and access to professional education in regions strategic for national development.

Commitment to public education

During his tenure as Provost of Outreach, Fábio developed initiatives to bring IFAC closer to society, through partnerships and initiatives focused on expanding education in the interior of the country. "Outreach plays an essential role in integrating the institution with the regions in which it operates," he states.

Furthermore, he advises that public leaders who wish to contribute to education listen to those on the front lines. He believes education is transformed through investment, but also through qualified listening and a commitment to overcoming inequalities.

The institution's work in Acre demonstrates how Federal Institutes play a decisive role in building a more inclusive Brazil, especially in regions with greater structural challenges. The RenovaBR Alumni trajectory reinforces the importance of leaders committed to transformation through education.