Português English

Education, Diversity, and Human Rights

We strengthen public education and expand access to quality education across the country. We foster the entrepreneurial ecosystem and employability, supporting professional development and career building. We contribute to economic and social development in the communities surrounding our educational units. We promote the health and well-being of our employees, encouraging physical, mental, and emotional balance. In this way, we integrate education, diversity, and human rights into our ESG strategy and our purpose of driving social transformation.

Know more

Social Impact Platform

Learn more about how we amplify our positive impact on society

Our Strategy

Promote positive and lasting impact on individuals and their communities.

Our Causes Big Actions

01

Education

Contribute to ensuring that all children and young people complete quality basic education at the appropriate age.

Early Childhood, Literacy, Secondary Education

02

Income Generation

Prepare citizens for the future, contributing to their quality of life and financial independence.

Employability, Entrepreneurship

03

Local Development

Promote economic and social development in the communities surrounding our educational units.

Health, Economy, Social Assistance

+2 Cross-Cutting Themes

Diversity And Inclusion:

Respect and value people with disabilities, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religious equity by creating and promoting policies and/or affirmative actions across all initiatives related to our causes.

Innovation And Technology:

To use new technologies to minimize negative impact and to leverage the positive impact of the businesses.

Impact-Driven Management

Committed to generating value across its entire value chain, Cogna has taken an innovative step in measuring the impacts generated by its business in the socioeconomic sphere. Since 2019, these impacts have been monitored annually through the internationally recognized methodology of Social Return on Investment (SROI).

We believe that a company’s value is directly connected to its ability to contribute to the advancement of society. To foster the broad transformation the world needs, the first step is to measure our impact.

SROI is an integrated management tool that allows companies to account not only for financial results, but also for the broader impact of their operations. At Cogna, we also measure our impact across the dimensions of human capital and local (social) development.

According to the second application of the model, based on 2023 results, for every R$1 invested, Cogna generated a net return of R$5.56 in benefits to society.

Assets Considered in the SROI Calculation

Acess to Education

Promote and/or facilitate community access to education (e.g., scholarships, free preparatory courses, donation of educational materials).

Public Education Management

Enhance Brazilian public education (e.g., projects developed by Fundação Pitágoras).

Community

Promote social transformation in the communities surrounding the campuses (e.g., professional services offered by higher education institutions).

Professional Integration

Promote access to the labor market (e.g., increased income for our students, employability portal).

Curricular

Promote social transformation through the dissemination of information (e.g., student training in social projects).

In 2023, for every R$1* invested by Cogna, R$5.56 returned to society. In total, 3.2 million people benefited, with R$15 billion in socioeconomic assets and R$1.8 billion in economic impact.

 

Human Capital

We Ensure People Build The Best Version Of Themselves.

Our objective is to develop in our human capital a diverse, agile, customer-focused culture aligned with our purpose, based on collaboration, entrepreneurship, a sense of ownership and that attracts and retains talent capable of delivering the organization’s future vision.

Our culture is reflected in the Jeito Cogna (Cogna Way), based on values and behaviors.

The Cogna Way That Guides Us to the Future

Purpose

Promote and/or facilitate community access to education (e.g., scholarships, free preparatory courses, donation of educational materials).

Vision

To Be A Benchmark Education Platform For Children, Young People And Adults In Brazil.

Values

We are a team, not heroes;
We are entrepreneurs, and we deliver results;
Our relationship is direct and respectful;
The success of the student/customer is our success;
We make our differences the basis of our co-existence.

Behaviors

We have a sense of ownership;
We listen to the student/customer;
We inspire and mobilize people;
We have a sense of urgency.

Strategic Pillars

Accelerated growth;
Efficiency;
Incredible experience;
Innovation;
Incredible people and culture;
ESG.

Salary Transparency

In compliance with Law No. 14,611 of July 4, 2023, and MTE Ordinance No. 3,714, Cogna presents its Reports on Transparency and Gender Pay Equality, reinforcing its commitment to best practices in development, inclusion, and diversity across all our initiatives.

At Cogna, gender equality and diversity are actively promoted throughout the organization, as the company recognizes the value of having diverse teams. Such a composition is considered a key factor in driving innovation, increasing productivity, and ensuring a sustainable work environment, with fair and equal pay being a fundamental requirement.

Additionally, we implement programs and actions that promote equity, such as:

Career Development
Women

In October 2025, we launched the 2nd edition of Ascender, a career acceleration program aimed at high-potential female Coordinators. The initiative supports each participant’s career growth toward management positions, strengthening female representation in Cogna’s leadership.

Career Development for
Black Professionals

In October 2025, we launched the 2nd edition of Ascender, a career acceleration program for high-potential female Coordinators. The initiative supports each participant’s growth toward managerial positions, boosting female representation in leadership at Cogna.

Participation in the
Mulher 360 Movement

In March 2025, we joined MM360, an independent non-profit association comprising over 100 member companies—leading organizations in the Brazilian corporate landscape—committed to promoting gender equity and increasing women’s participation in the workplace, across the value chain, and within the community.

Participation in the
Racial Equity Movement

In November 2024, we joined MOVER – Racial Equity Movement, a non-profit association that seeks to promote and accelerate racial equity through awareness-raising and support for the career and business development of Black professionals. The movement currently comprises over 50 companies collaborating to accelerate racial inclusion through shared efforts and the exchange of best practices.

Metas Públicas

Elas Lideram 2030 Movement

Our internal public targets for hiring women in leadership positions above managerial level are aligned with the Elas Lideram 2030 Movement, an initiative of the UN Global Compact – Brazil Network in partnership with other organizations, aiming to have 1,500 companies committed to gender parity in top leadership by 2030.

Raça é Prioridade Movement

Our internal public targets for hiring Black professionals in the workforce and in leadership positions above coordinator level are aligned with the Raça é Prioridade Movement, an initiative of the UN Global Compact – Brazil Network in partnership with CEERT. The movement also involves other strategic partner organizations and aims to have 1,500 companies committed to achieving 50% Black representation in leadership positions by 2030.

Public Recognitions

The reports we present are based on official data from eSocial and RAIS, as prepared by the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE), providing a factual overview of our situation. However, it is important to note that the MTE’s original scope is limited to CNPJs with 100 or more employees and is restricted to analysis by broad groups of the Brazilian Classification of Occupations (CBO). This methodology, by not considering the entire company or the natural distinctions between roles, may not fully reflect the complete picture.

To provide a more comprehensive context, we highlight that Cogna defines its salaries through pay grades, which offer a different perspective. These grades are established based on the weight and complexity of each role within the company structure and are applied in a neutral manner—that is, regardless of who occupies the position (male, female, White, Black, Brown, etc.).

GPTW Diversity Ranking 2025 Women

In 2025, for the third consecutive year, Cogna ranked 29th as the best company for women to work at. The Women’s Ranking aims to recognize organizations that excel in creating a workplace conducive to female participation, building a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

GPTW Diversity Ranking 2025 Ethnic-Racial

In 2025, for the first time, Cogna ranked 12th as the best company for Black and Brown professionals to work at. The Ethnic-Racial Ranking aims to recognize organizations that actively create a space of racial equity within their operations, implementing practices and programs designed to reduce the opportunity gap between White and Black (including Brown) professionals.

+27,000

employees

+5.000

partner schools

3.000

support hubs

offering online & blended courses

+1 million

students

in on-campus and digital undergraduate programs

At Cogna, we consider health, safety, and well-being a material topic and a fundamental value across all our operations, whether involving the Company’s employees internally or any other stakeholders. To manage this topic, we have an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Policy, which sets out the values that guide our actions and explicitly recognizes safety as a non-negotiable value.

To promote the health of our employees, we have:

  • A clinical team providing social assistance, medical and nursing care, including telehealth services;
  • Specialized Nutritional Support Program;
  • Pregnancy Support Program;
  • Mental Health Program with psychological telehealth support;
  • Enhanced Telemedicine Program through the HAI Booth;
  • Social Assistance Program;
  • Support Program for Employees on Leave;
  • Primary Health Care Program at corporate facilities.

At Cogna, absenteeism monitoring is an important management tool for promoting the health, safety, and well-being of our employees. We continuously monitor this indicator to identify opportunities for improvement, support the implementation of preventive measures, and strengthen initiatives focused on promoting physical and mental health, quality of life, and disease prevention. As part of this commitment, we have set a target of maintaining the absenteeism rate at or below 2%, reflecting our ongoing efforts to reduce absences, promote a healthy work environment, and strengthen a culture of care for our people. This monitoring supports decision-making and contributes to building an increasingly safe, welcoming, and sustainable workplace, reinforcing our commitment to valuing our human capital.

Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our strategy for our people. In 2025, we carried out several initiatives aimed at creating a more inclusive and equitable corporate environment for underrepresented groups, where everyone feels a sense of belonging and is free to be who they are and develop their talents in an equitable and fair manner:

  • We provided internal training, courses, lectures, and discussion groups on topics such as race, gender, inclusion of people with disabilities, respect for differences, and inclusive communication for our employees;
  • Practical and theoretical training initiatives, including online Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) classes, knowledge sessions on different types of disabilities — visible and invisible —, guidance on appropriate symbols and terminology, as well as an inclusion guide focused on applying these concepts in the corporate environment on a daily basis;
  • The Potência Negra Program was implemented as a career acceleration pilot program for 39 Black senior analysts, focusing on skills development, expanding their knowledge and preparing them for future leadership opportunities. We structured development paths, internal mentoring, and supporting initiatives, such as targets for increasing racial representation and ongoing diversity awareness;
  • We made progress with the Criando Pontes Program, focused on the inclusion and development of people with disabilities;
  • We held the 2nd edition of Ascender, a development program for women in coordinator positions, involving 20 women, 50% of whom are non-white (Black, mixed-race, and Asian). This strategic initiative is dedicated to developing high-potential coordinators to take the next step in their professional journeys;
  • Diversity and inclusion training is available to all employees through the Cogna Corporate University.

In addition, throughout the year, we maintained four affinity groups focused on gender (Divers@), ethnicity (CognAfro), LGBTQIA+ (Cogna em Cores), and people with disabilities (Incluir). These groups actively contribute to the development of awareness and diversity education initiatives across the Company.

We support the development of our employees. Our purpose is to empower people to build a better version of themselves, take the next step in their careers, and consequently have a positive impact on the business.

In 2025, we highlight:

  • Through UNICO (Corporate University), we offered more than 500 courses across a wide range of areas of knowledge, supporting the development of soft and hard skills;
  • In the area of technical and behavioral development, we reinforced important initiatives to prepare for the future, with emphasis on upskilling and reskilling programs in artificial intelligence. Designed for leaders across all areas, the initiative is based on the understanding that digital transformation requires not only technical specialists, but also leaders capable of understanding the potential of technology, asking the right questions, and making better decisions;
  • To prepare our leaders to act as agents of the cultural transformation we seek, we launched InspirAção. Designed as a two-year development journey (2025–2026), the program is a central pillar of our growth strategy, recognizing leaders as key drivers for achieving superior results;
  • Redesign of Avance, our employee performance management program;
  • 147 employees participated as volunteer mentors in our corporate volunteering program, carried out as part of the Somos Futuro Program.