Several factors make the School of the Amazon a very special programme. Below are five differences, which together make the School of the Amazon a unique venture.

1 - Target audience composed mainly of students and educators. The public schools of Alta Floresta - especially the rural – are our main focus. However, the School of the Amazon also brings students and teachers from other parts of the country to experience first hand the Amazon. Part of the income generated by these visits from outside the region is used to subsidize the education activities in the public schools of Alta Floresta.

2 - A tripartite approach based on research, intervention and evaluation. The research seeks to understand how knowledge and attitudes determine the relationships between people and the environment. The interventions of education and communication take into account the results of research and are designed to improve this relationship. Finally, assessments are used to determine the impact of interventions and indicate ways to improve their efficiency.

3 - Location in the Amazonian Arc of Deforestation, offers participants an unique opportunity to study at the interface between pristine forest and a landscape altered by human activities related to agriculture and timber extraction. In addition, the School of the Amazon concentrates its activities around the 184,000 ha Cristalino State Park: a small unit by Amazon standards but one that protects an exceptional biological diversity.

4 - Infrastructure provided by the Cristalino Ecological Foundation - which includes office, vehicle, boat, and personnel – accommodation provided by the Cristalino Jungle Lodge and Floresta Amazonica hotels, in addition to the availability of facilities on the Ariosto Island (located in the Rio Teles Pires).

5 - Team composed of qualified professionals, including Silvio Marchini (doctoral student in wildlife conservation from the University of Oxford, with thesis on the role of education in the conservation of wildlife) and Edson Grandisoli (professor of biology at two of the best colleges in the country: College Bandeirantes and Vera Cruz School - high school, and author of several textbooks).