With excitement and pride, nearly 100 teachers and administrators from the first version of the “Redes Educativas para la Mejora de Aprendizajes” (REMA) program of Fundación Luksic celebrated successfully completing the program. In total, it was three years during which representatives from 13 technical-professional schools from different regions of the country partnered and worked collaboratively with the aim of enhancing the quality of their students’ learning and strengthening their educational trajectories.
Antofagasta, Coquimbo, Quirihue, Panguipulli, and Puerto Montt are some of the municipalities from where teachers and administrators came to Santiago to meet, celebrate, and participate in the final “Learning Session,” a session that is part of the REMA methodology, where experiences are shared, theoretical-practical tools are provided, and the exchange of learning is promoted.
“REMA is an initiative that we really like because there is mutual learning among all the teachers. Where everything that is learned and everything that is reflected on in some way positively impacts the students,” highlighted Carlina Pezo, Head of the Technical Pedagogical Unit (UTP) at Manuel Aristides Zañartu Zañartu Vocational High School, Cabrero, Biobío Region.
“The fact that an external entity, such as Fundación Luksic, approaches us and makes this gesture represents a tremendous contribution. Any institution that does something to strengthen technical education in this country, I will feel as an ally and as a powerful strategic alliance to hopefully replicate it in other technical-professional high schools in the country,” said Ismenia Villrroel, director of the Maritime Bosque Nativo High School in Puerto Montt.
Enhancing learning through networking
REMA was created in 2020 by Fundación Luksic with the aim of improving the Language and Mathematics learning of first and second-year students in technical-professional schools and thus enhancing their educational trajectories.
To achieve this, the program applies a methodology of collaborative work, in which participants from each establishment belonging to the NETWORK are accompanied by a multidisciplinary team that encourages them to improve interactions between teachers and students, enhance socio-emotional skills, and strengthen their leadership abilities.
“We are very happy to see the first generation of teachers and administrators graduating who have through this program committed to educational improvement and to promoting processes of change in their communities. They are the heart of what we do, and we hope that they can now continue to expand this transformation in their schools,” said María Fernanda Orellana, Director of Education at Fundación Luksic.
The UC Center for Educational Transformation (CENTRE) has been an important ally in the implementation of the program. Among other things, it has collaborated through the CLASS tool, which allows observing classroom interactions and thus improving the teaching practices of professionals.
“We have a very positive assessment of REMA because we have seen the transformation of practices in the classroom, interactions, and the commitment of those who participate in the schools. This has been a joint effort with teachers, administrators, and with Fundación Luksic in a horizontal manner to seek contextualized solutions to the real and everyday problems that schools and teachers face,” highlighted Ernesto Treviño, Director of CENTRE.
Through its three versions, REMA has already been implemented in 38 technical-professional high schools in 13 regions of Chile: Antofagasta, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, O’Higgins, Maule, Ñuble, Biobío, Los Lagos, Los Ríos, Aysén, Magallanes, and Metropolitan Region.
Next year, the second and third REMA networks, meaning the teachers and administrators who started the program in 2022 and 2023, will continue to work collaboratively to enhance student learning. Additionally, they will soon meet in Santiago to celebrate their own “Learning Session” and share experiences learned during this period.
