EDUCATING IN TIMES OF CRISIS: CLOTHING SORTING AS A LOGISTICAL AND CIVIC LEARNING EXERCISE AFTER THE 2023 FLOODS

Abstract

This article reports a pedagogical experience developed with students of the Logistics Operator Assistant course during the floods that hit Vale do Taquari/RS in September 2023. The activity consisted of sorting clothes at the distribution center of the Associação Missionária Evangélica de Lajeado, integrating technical logistics skills with solidarity actions. The methodology was based on Kolb's (1984) experiential learning and Freire's (1996) problem-posing education, using a qualitative approach and participant observation. The results show that students developed not only technical skills in separation, classification and organization of materials, but also socioemotional skills such as empathy, teamwork and social responsibility. It is concluded that the integration between logistic theory and solidarity practice in crisis contexts constitutes an effective pedagogical strategy for professional education, transforming adversities into meaningful learning opportunities.