VinÃcius Junior
A Brazilian professional footballer, Vinicius Junior, founded the Instituto VinÃ.Jr, in 2021, with the aim of reducing the inequalities between private and public education in Brazil. Instead of adhering to a conventional football-centric approach, Vinicius Junior has embraced innovation by developing BASE an application designed to equip teachers with tools to make learning enjoyable and stimulating for young people.
In June 2023, Vinicius Junior was appointed to lead a special FIFA anti-racism committee, charged with proposing stricter sanctions for discriminatory behavior in football.
His dedication has been acknowledged with the Socrates 2023 Award, which honors footballers who are actively involved in educational or social causes.
As a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education for All, he undertook his inaugural mission by visiting the Lycée Collégial al-Charaf in Marrakech on 19 February 2024 to convey the importance of education amongst youth.
