Volunteers offer blind hugs, a “venting corner” and water and pens to Enem: “They give positive energy.”

Through the “Shout Corner,” volunteers provide emotional support to Enem candidates:

Emotional support projects were held on Sunday the 9th of this month in a school in the western region of the capital, São Paulo, to provide blind hugs, a “catharsis corner”, motivational messages and even a delivery of water and a black pen to candidates who went to take the first day of the 2025 National Secondary School Examination (Enem).

One of them, Project Help, which has been around for 8 years, consists of volunteer psychologists and people who have overcome emotional problems. “Today, we, Enem, came here to share the message of overcoming, to say that they can take the test, that they need to believe in them and show that we are here to support them,” project coordinator Felipe Santos, 38, explains to land.

The group had a pickup truck, where they set up a “venting corner.” “That is, if they want to talk, leave all the worry, fear and worry, and go take the test with a calm head and then get a good result,” Felipe says. “People arrive in a state of extreme anxiety, and we meet students on the verge of having an anxiety attack,” he adds.

According to the coordinator, the project was also present in other schools in São Paulo that were running the Enem program this year. In addition to the space to vent, they offered hugs through a blindfolded volunteer and held up banners with positive messages, around their slogan, “I don’t judge you, I help you.”

“Other people hold a sign saying ‘Are you worried about the result?'” Felipe says. Hug me. And that hug means a lot, because we give positive energy there. We say that the person will be able to take the test. All this support, all this help is valid for the person to know that he is important and capable.”

Another group that was in front of the school was Projeto Universitários, with the aim of motivating the students: “Today, Projeto Universitários has about 5 thousand volunteers spread across all the states of Brazil, and here in São Paulo, with an average of 1,500 volunteers, with the aim of offering a word of encouragement, strength and joy,” comments coordinator Willison Alves Nunes, 30 years old.

The project also delivered water and a black pen made of transparent material to the candidates. “Every year we prepare snack kits to deliver to students. We know that some forget their pen, some leave the house in a hurry and may forget a bottle of water. We also have a motivational word here on the label. There are several measures that we implement to try to make the student as calm as possible so that they can do an excellent test,” says Willison.

Two days of tests

Enem 2025 starts on Sunday the 9th. About 4.8 million candidates have registered to take the exam, which has become the main gateway to higher education in Brazil.

On this first day of the Enem program, candidates answer questions about languages ​​and humanities, as well as produce an essay entitled “Perspectives on Aging in Brazilian Society.” Mathematics and Natural Sciences questions will be asked next Sunday, November 16th.

In Belém, Ananandua and Maritoba (PA), this year’s edition will take place on November 30 and December 7, due to the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), which will be held in the region during the regular exam application period.