En toda Colombia,Children Change Colombia y Blossom and Berry están colaborando para capacitar a líderes locales en técnicas de contacto nutritivo, brindándoles las habilidades y calificaciones necesarias para convertirse en25 July 2022
Read MoreTransforming Futures Through Education and Green Jobs
The pandemic, among all its problems, highlighted the stark inequalities faced by Colombia in terms of access to quality education. The different modalities of remote education adopted as an alternative during the pandemic increased the education gap for children and young people in areas with very low connectivity, such as the rural areas of the Caribbean region. In partnership with Misión Gaia, Children Change Colombia’s new initiative aims to tackle this issue.
The project takes place in Minca, a small village on the Colombian Caribbean coast in the foothills of the imposing Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. A place where the contrasts are as challenging as they are common in many of Colombia’s rural regions; on the one hand there are luscious landscapes full of diversity and richness in agricultural products, such as coffee, mixed with an emerging ecotourism industry, while on the other hand the local context is marked by few job opportunities and a lacking social infrastructure.
The project uses an approach based on active methodologies that aim to improve the academic performance of students in two rural schools and to provide them with tools for development through extracurricular and vocational training that will enable the children and young people to succeed in their academic courses and find meaningful careers at the end of their high school studies.
Workshops are held to reinforce transferable skills such as oral expression and critical thinking, as well as STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) topics and English lessons that allow them to deepen their knowledge and abilities.
Within the project, students have created a communications collective where, using media such as videoblogs, podcasts and magazines, they develop research skills, critical thinking, creativity, use of technological tools, expression and other soft skills, as well as connecting with their territory and culture. So far, the children and young people involved in this collective have been highly motivated. They are discovering new experiences and ways of learning that allow them to rediscover their environment and get excited to learn new things.
Additionally, monthly workshops are held with teachers, where teaching methodologies are enriched by introducing active methodologies and gamification to encourage more participatory teaching processes.
Vocational training and entrepreneurship workshops are carried out with the young people in their final two years of secondary school. The main topic they learn about is the potential of their territory for sustainable agriculture and ecotourism. The training includes field trips that end with internships in local businesses for some of the students, allowing them to gain first-hand work experience.
As Wilson, one of the educators for the project says, “the objective is to motivate the students so that they can transcend within the territory and open doors for them to become transformers of their communities and build their own futures.”
Help us empower rural communities, please donate today
More News
Nurturing Touch: Connection through contact with Colombia’s children
Across Colombia, Children Change Colombia and Blossom & Berry are collaborating to train local leaders in nurturing touch techniques, giving them the necessary skills and qualifications to become facilitators and25 July 2022
Read More
Llevando Colombia a Londres: Una celebración de identidad, comunidad y alegría
Diseñado para celebrar y fortalecer la identidad cultural, 'Colombia Colores' ofrece una experiencia alegre e inmersiva donde los niños exploran la herencia colombiana a través del canto, la narración de25 July 2022
Read More
Bringing Colombia to London: A colourful celebration of identity, community, and joy
Designed to celebrate and strengthen cultural identity, ‘Colombia Colores' offers a joyful and immersive experience where children explore Colombian heritage through singing, storytelling, traditional music, dance, and play.
Read More
My Body, My Rules: The Right to Say NO
You have the right to decide about your body. You have the right to say NO And no one, absolutely no one, has the right to force, manipulate, or pressure25 July 2022
Read More
Mi cuerpo, mis reglas: El derecho a decir NO
Tú tienes derecho a decidir sobre tu cuerpo. Tienes derecho a decir NO. Y nadie, absolutamente nadie, tiene derecho a obligarte, manipularte o presionarte a hacer algo que no quieres.
Read More
Community as a Superpower: Supporting Venezuelan Refugees in Colombia
In times of crisis, the importance of community becomes especially clear, particularly for children. Displacement, instability, and hardship can leave young people vulnerable, uprooted from familiar environments, and cut off25 July 2022
Read More
La comunidad como superpoder: apoyo a los refugiados venezolanos en Colombia
En tiempos de crisis, la importancia de la comunidad se hace especialmente evidente, sobre todo para los niños y niñas. El desplazamiento, la inestabilidad y las dificultades pueden dejar a25 July 2022
Read More
Inés Caraballo
IT Volunteer
Read More