This week, the Luksic Foundation opened the applications for the FIE 2021 fund to strengthen educational initiatives, which aims to support projects that arise from the school communities of professional technical schools and that aim to promote entry to higher education.
In this context, Las Últimas Noticias highlighted the case of the Monseñor Francisco Valdés Educational Complex in Curarrehue, located in the Araucanía Region. The establishment was one of the winners of the FIE in 2015 through the ‘Kimeltú’ project, a word that in Mapundungún means to teach. The idea was that the third and fourth year students, who were studying the Administration Technician specialty, could provide administrative advice to micro-entrepreneurs in the area, through a mobile office.
“The change generated by this initiative was enriching. Despite the shortcomings, the kids came with a lot of enthusiasm and motivation. They went from being introverted to having charisma and leadership, recognizing that they can achieve a lot if they set their minds to it” said Liliana Muñoz, teacher and project coordinator.
On Monday, November 16, applications began for the 2021 version of the program, which will distribute $500 million pesos for projects that emerge from all the country’s professional technical schools.
María Fernanda Orellana, director of the TP education area of the foundation said that “we are very happy because this is the first year that we are extending nationwide. We seek to reach the areas that most need this boost, because we know that talents exist throughout the country, but they do not always have the resources. We hope in this way to contribute to social justice and to give young people greater freedom of action regarding their future”.
The funds will be distributed on the basis of projects submitted by a single school, with funding ranging from $10 million to $15 million chilean pesos. There is also the option of presenting collective projects, devised jointly by two or three high schools. In this case, the funding received by the selected schools can be between $15 and $25 million chilean pesos. The winning projects must be executed during a maximum period of one academic year.
The call for applications to the FIE 2021 will be open until December 29, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. on the following application platform: https://fie2021.vform.cl. On the platform, schools will be able to download the Competition Rules.