Regional Educators Converge to Share Best Practices in Environmental Education

Over one hundred educators from across the La Araucanía region recently convened at the Luis González Vásquez women’s boarding school in Nueva Imperial. The gathering served as a platform for teachers to exchange innovative strategies and successful initiatives in environmental education, fostering a collaborative approach to addressing climate change.

“II Environmental Education Seminar”: A Hub for Intercultural Dialog and Climate Action

The “II Environmental Education Seminar with Intercultural Perspective: Exchange of experiences around environmental education and climate change” marked a significant milestone in collaborative efforts within Araucanía. The seminar emphasized the importance of integrating cultural perspectives into environmental education, recognizing the unique knowledge and experiences of indigenous communities in the region.

World Coffee Methodology: Cultivating Collaborative Knowledge

The seminar employed the World Coffee Methodology, a participatory approach designed to encourage open dialogue, collective knowledge construction, and the sharing of meaningful experiences among educators. This method facilitated a horizontal exchange of ideas, empowering teachers to learn from one another and build a stronger network of environmental advocates.

the World Coffee methodology favors horizontal dialogue, the collective construction of knowledge and the exchange of significant experiences between the different actors of the educational system.

showcasing Innovative Environmental Initiatives

Representatives from various educational institutions across the region presented their unique environmental programs.These included:

• Barros Arana Municipal Liceo of Teodoro Schmidt
• Tranapuente school of Carahue
• Martin Kleinknecht educational complex of Toltén
• Basic Carileufu de Pucón School
• Aguas and Gaviotas de Toltén School
• Mothers Dominicas College of Pitrufquén
• Latin American Union of Pitrufquén
• Volcán Llaima and Bicentennial School Adenauer, both from Melipeuco
• Patricio Chávez Soto de Curacautín School
• Juan XXIII School of Nueva Imperial
• Toltén Station School of Teodoro Schmidt

these presentations highlighted the diverse approaches being implemented to promote environmental awareness and action within the region’s schools.

voices from the field: Educators Emphasize the Value of Collaboration

Félix Contreras, seremi of the habitat, emphasized the importance of sharing experiences across different educational levels, including kindergartens. Teachers have shared their experiences on how progress has been made in the environmental average theme… and we have realized that these experiences are very enriching and we hope to continue moving forward. He also expressed hope for future seminars in other communes of Costa Araucanía.

Rukmini Becerra,a professor at the UC Campus Villarrica,lauded the interactive nature of the seminar and the commitment of the participants to addressing climate change. It seemed an excellent interactive space of different actors who participate and are very committed to working and supporting the topics related to climate change. I see a lot of teachers’ commitment and delivery in these projects.

Pablo Godoy, a Natural Sciences professor at Mothers Dominics of Pitrufquén, valued the opportunity to showcase his school’s climate change initiatives. I found it interesting, where one had the possibility to show the other colleagues the work plan that one performs in terms of climate change… it is quite pleasant to share this experience that other establishments validate it, it is important said.

Ingrid Ancan, a professor at the Barros Arana public high school, highlighted the importance of intercultural perspectives in addressing climate change. was a marvelous day where we coudl share an experience that we are working as a high school and that is related to climate change and from an intercultural view. Today we have created networks with our colleagues.

Patricio Solano Ocampo, executive director of the Slep Costa Araucanía, expressed satisfaction with the seminar’s focus on environmental issues and collaborative problem-solving. we had a very interesting opportunity to see so manny organized people gathered and with a view to discussing aspects about the environment. And how we face situations that directly affect our environment.

Partnerships for progress: SCAE Network and the Mica Project

This year’s seminar was organized by the SCAE Network of Environmental Certification of School Establishments, in collaboration with the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Villarrica Headquarters, through the Mica Project (Interactive Map of Climate Change).The Mica Project aims to promote environmental education with an intercultural,localized,and culturally relevant approach,aligning with the seminar’s overarching goals.

Looking Ahead: Sustaining Momentum in Environmental Education

The “II Environmental Education Seminar” served as a catalyst for strengthening environmental education initiatives in the La Araucanía region. By fostering collaboration,sharing best practices,and integrating intercultural perspectives,educators are paving the way for a more lasting future. Continued investment in environmental education and collaborative partnerships will be crucial to addressing the challenges of climate change and fostering a generation of environmentally conscious citizens.