Individual transformation, social ascension and professional success

The purpose of this article is to identify how learning factors — social and pedagogical — cause an individual transformation. Research focus on young people from poor communities who completed courses on classical music offered by Brazilian nonprofit organizations. The studied group took part in social projects offered by different organizations. Through interviews with these youngsters, it was possible to identify their perceptions about building their own careers considering their background. The article examines the challenges experienced by these young people, and the existing contrast between their social and family with the environment — didactic and pedagogical — provided by the nonprofit organizations. The article suggests dedicating further attention to public policies in order to come up with alternatives that promote social inclusion and ascension for young people from poor communities.