The objective of FIE is to finance projects that respond to the needs identified by the school communities themselves to improve the educational quality of their establishments. For this purpose, the selected schools are granted resources and support in the implementation of their projects. In July, the call for applications was open to 74 technical high schools in the provinces of Valdivia, Ranco, Llanquihue and Osorno.
Four of the five schools that were awarded the fund did so with a project that has a component that addresses pedagogical solutions for students with distance learning classes. In this call, and as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that has hit our country, additional points were assigned to the initiatives that considered the current context and that address the issue of remote education.
Starting with the Los Ríos Region, the People Help People School in Panguipulli applied for the creation of a space for the production and management of theoretical and practical audiovisual pedagogical content, called “Espacio CREA-TIC”. There, they will work on the production and delivery of digital content of various disciplines to students who are in distance classes.
The Liceo Padre Alcuino de Lanco, presented the initiative to establish a research methodology for the subject of “Science for Citizenship”, through the installation of materials and technological tools that allow young people to develop scientific responses to local phenomena of their community. This project will also make it possible to address relevant studies about COVID-19.
On the other hand, in order to reduce the gap generated by the lack of connectivity, the project to implement active-participatory technological methodologies by strengthening digital literacy in the specialties of Electricity, Automotive Mechanics, Metal Constructions, Building and Sanitary Installations was developed at the Liceo Ingeniero Ricardo Fenner of La Unión.
Continuing in the Los Lagos Region, the initiative presented by the San Cristobal School, in the commune of Los Muermos, is the creation of a school radio that aims to expand and promote spaces for participation among students and the educational community, even more so being in a pandemic, allowing them to reach all members. In this way, they intend to promote that students are able to become actively involved with school coexistence, and in turn, promote student participation and leadership.
The Benjamín Muñoz Gamero High School in Puerto Octay applied for the construction of a cultivable open classroom for students in the Gastronomy specialty. Through the construction of a vegetable garden, the students will be able to develop cultivation techniques and vernacular knowledge, and also hope to strengthen the local culinary culture. To carry out the project, the school will work collaboratively with Fundación Patio Vivo, who have extensive experience with the implementation of outdoor learning environments.
“We would like to congratulate the winners and all those who participated in the Fund for School Initiatives (FIE). This particular context we are facing, due to the health crisis, makes us reaffirm our commitment to provide a space for schools to tell us what they need and how they think they can solve their problems,” said José Gutiérrez, director of Fundación Educacional Luksic.
Those schools that did not win will receive feedback on their projects in the coming days.