As part of a collaborative effort, the Undersecretariat of Kindergarten Education and Fundación Educacional Oportunidad will provide Kindergarten Education pedagogical teams with leadership tools that contribute to improving the quality of the first level of education.
Within this framework and as the first joint activity, both institutions will develop a series of webinars: Leadership in Kindergarten Education for Continuous Improvement, which seeks to highlight knowledge, skills and attitudes related to leadership to promote the learning, development and well-being of children.
"We are grateful for the collaborative work made possible today by this cycle of webinars, which seeks to contribute to delivering and installing competencies in pedagogical teams on relevant topics such as, for example, decision making based on an adequate analysis of data. Because strengthening evidence-based decisions contributes to educational improvement and, ultimately, to the quality of education focused on the overall well-being of each child," said the Undersecretary of Early Childhood Education, Claudia Lagos Serrano.
Yael Codriansky, head of the Learning Transfer area of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, said that "this series of webinars will address key competencies for effective leadership in kindergarten education, focusing in particular on those required to promote and enhance quality management in educational centers that have a positive impact on the learning of infants.
The meetings, which will be broadcast on the YouTube channels of both institutions (www.youtube.com/@sdepy www.youtube.com/fun_oportunidad), will address different areas focused on the educational improvement of educational communities.
We officially deliver the list of those who will represent each region of Chile in the trip that will take place in January 2025. We congratulate their families and schools for promoting attendance to kindergarten education.
In a context in which projections show a serious deficit of nearly 7,000 female early childhood educators by 2025, a new version of this award known as the "Nobel Prize for Teaching" was launched and, for the first time, a special space was included to recognize the role of early childhood professionals.
According to a study conducted by Elige Educar and Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, projections for the number of kindergarten educators for the coming years show a serious deficit. It is estimated that by 2025 there will be a shortage of around 7,000 professionals in Chile's kindergarten and school classrooms.
In this context, a new version of the Global Teacher Prize Chile 2024 was launched, the "Nobel Prize for Teaching", which for the first time includes a special category to recognize the value of kindergarten education. This, thanks to the collaboration between Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, Fundación Ya and Elige Educar.
Regarding this fact, the Undersecretary of Nursery Education, Claudia Lagos, pointed out that "when we talk about recognizing nursery education, what we are doing is also recognizing the role and importance of children in our society".
"I am very happy and grateful for all the willingness and vision that both Fundación Educacional Oportunidad and the rest of those who make up Elige Educar have had to make kindergarten education visible, to highlight and value the important task that kindergarten educators perform on a permanent basis," added the authority.
For his part, the rector of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Ignacio Sánchez, added that "it was very necessary to have the recognition of early childhood educators covered. It seems to me that the Global Teacher Prize puts on the table the relevance of the discipline in early education. Therefore, we congratulate Elige Educar, and I think it is excellent that the Fundación Educacional Oportunidad collaborates in this initiative. So, from Universidad Católica we are very happy for this new advance".
The president of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, Ena von Baer, explained that "we made the decision to promote the kindergarten education category in the Global Teacher Prize because we have been working with Chile's educators for 18 years and we know how important they are for the development of Chile's children.
Likewise, the executive director of Elige Educar, Verónica Cabezas, added that "we are happy that this year we have the launch of a new category for early childhood educators, early childhood educators with the support of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad and Fundación Ya. So we thank them for always believing in early childhood educators, their professional work and helping to value this level of education".
It is important to remember that until July 25, the public may invite those early childhood educators who are working in the field of early childhood education to apply for a position.
The ninth version of the Global Teacher Prize Chile, organized by Elige Educar, incorporated this new space for recognition thanks to the collaboration of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad and Fundación Ya.
Teachers, educators and kindergarten educators in the country can now apply for the ninth version of the Global Teacher Prize Chile 2024 -also known as the "Nobel Prize for Teaching"-, a recognition that annually highlights the work of teachers at the national level. This year, for the first time, the prize will have three categories: Kindergarten Education, Music Education and Comprehensive Education.
"The inclusion of the new Early Childhood Education category in the Global Teacher Prize Chile is a great opportunity not only to recognize and value the work of innovative and inspiring educators, but also to highlight the importance of early childhood education, which every day welcomes children, strengthening their life trajectories and safeguarding the right to education from the cradle room," said the Undersecretary of Early Childhood Education, Claudia Lagos.
Each category seeks to attract different teachers: Kindergarten Education encourages applications from early childhood educators working in schools, nursery schools, kindergartens, language schools and non-conventional modalities. It was created thanks to the collaboration of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad and Fundación Ya.
Music Education invites music teachers working in schools, children's and youth orchestras, neighborhood choirs or other places where they teach schoolchildren. The third category, Integral Education, is the broadest and calls for teachers of elementary and middle school, youth and adult education, hospital schools and other school teaching spaces.
"The Global Teacher Prize Chile 2024 seeks to make visible, inspire and recognize the exceptional work of teachers and educators who are making a daily transformation in the lives of children and adolescents, and in their communities as agents of change and exceptional teachers in their work in the classroom," explains Verónica Cabezas, Executive Director of Elige Educar.
The transformative impact of the Global Teacher Prize Chile
During the launch of the ninth version of the prize, outstanding teachers presented some of their skills: Cristobal Rojas, winner of the Music Education Category and Top 50 of the international version, shared part of music teaching techniques with sign language; and Pablo Ramirez, finalist of the Global Teacher Prize Chile 2022, presented a physics experiment that played with forces by burying a knife in a potato in the air.
Marcelo Cofré, winner of the Global Teacher Prize Chile 2023, highlights the impact that this recognition has had on his life: "This experience has filled me with energy, it makes me realize that this close way of teaching, which always has high expectations about what my students can achieve, is the key to form great people who will be a contribution to society".
Until July 25, citizens can invite applications from teachers who have had an impact on their lives on the website www.gtpchile.cl. Also, practicing teachers and early childhood educators can apply directly to the Global Teacher Prize Chile 2024 by telling their story, achievements and impact inside and outside the classroom. All the details at gtpchile.cl
The foundation's board of directors and its team are grateful for his 16 years of leadership, in which he played a fundamental role in the growth and consolidation of the organization as a benchmark in early childhood education in Chile.
Fundación Educacional Oportunidad announces that Marcela Marzolo Malagarriga left her position as executive director this Friday, June 28.
During her 16 years of leadership, Marcela was a fundamental piece in the growth and consolidation of the organization, showing strong commitment and dedication to develop greater opportunities for children and young people in Chile.
Since her arrival at the Foundation, Marcela has led numerous projects and initiatives that have had a significant impact on the different communes in which Fundación EducacionalOportunidad has a presence through its programs and areas. Under his direction, the foundation achieved important achievements, consolidating itself as a benchmark entity in the field of education.
The board of directors and all the members of the organization thank and recognize the work of Marcela Marzolo in these 16 years, in which she worked to improve and make early childhood education visible in Chile; in addition to promoting the importance of learning the English language at an early age.
With the aim of creating a cultureof permanent attendance at classes from the earliest years of children, we present 4 books that are available for free download for all establishments in the country.
Children's stories are, in most cases, the first approach of preschool children to concepts such as friendship, solidarity, respect, among others. Through the characters, who face and solve challenges, they incorporate different learnings.
With this background, Fundación Educacional Oportunidad developed a new project: Include in the books "Super Asistencia", the heroine who visits educational establishments to promote attendance at preschool education and who is part of the organization's successful strategies.
"The return", "Emotions in colors", "The orchard" and "The orchestra" are the stories that make up the set that were publicly presented in the commune of Renca this Thursday, June 30.
Yanira Alée, head of the Assistance Program of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, explained that "children's stories are a concrete and understandable way to transmit important messages to children in their early childhood. By incorporating the relevance of school attendance into simple, engaging stories, they can better understand why it's important to attend kindergarten and school every day."
He also explained that "although at this age it is the families who finally decide whether or not to send their sons and daughters to kindergarten and school, the motivation factor of the children also has an important weight. Many times they are the ones who ask their mothers or fathers to take them."
For his part, the mayor of Renca, Claudio Castro, stressed that improving school attendance must be a joint effort. "We need to understand this as a society, and it is very nice that we are united in it, the management team, the educators, the parents, the foundation, the municipality, it is a good example of how we have to make an alliance that involves all of us. In Renca, we have understood that the best thing we can do as a community is to encourage girls and boys to attend classes, especially in preschool education, and for this reason, we proposed this year to generate an incentive for attendance, the Pre-K Bonus within the framework of the Grow in Renca program, regardless of whether they are from public or subsidized private establishments," Said.
In addition, and with the aim of reaching the largest number of theaters throughout Chile, the 4 books will be available for free download on the website fundacionoportunidad.cl in PDF format.
Natalia Cabezas, early childhood educator and coordinator of the Assistance program of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad explained that "if we link the usefulness of the Super Assistance stories with the Curricular Bases of Early Childhood Education, we can work on learning objectives related to the comprehension of literary texts, acquisition of new vocabulary words, enjoyment and enjoyment of reading, oral expression and communication of topics of interest".
The alliance brings together more than twenty-five institutions and groups, including international organizations, foundations specialized in educational improvement, study centers and support networks for educational improvement.
Sumar Saberes will create a nationwide map with programs to support the improvement of learning and will identify which initiatives work and what are the keys to their effectiveness, to help educational communities make decisions based on the available evidence.
With the aim of presenting the new public-private partnership Sumar Saberes, the Ministry of Education and Fundación Chile met on Tuesday, May 28 at the Cineteca of the La Moneda Cultural Center, before a large audience made up of government authorities, teachers, directors, students and representatives of educational institutions. This innovative initiative includes a wide range of actors, including international organizations, study centers, foundations and support networks specialized in educational improvement.
Its purpose is to promote significant progress in education, identifying and promoting effective initiatives that support the improvement of learning in schools. This will allow school communities to know what really works and make decisions based on the available evidence, which will also contribute to increasing the effectiveness of investment in education.
Currently, the alliance is made up of the Anglo American Foundation, the BHP Foundation, the Opportunity Educational Foundation, the Luksic Foundation, the MC Foundation, UNESCO, UNICEF, the IDB, CAF, the UC Center for Public Policy, the Center for Advanced Research in Education of the University of Chile (CIAE), the Directorate of Public Education and the Quality Assurance Agency. It is also supported by the Oxford University's Hub for Global Education "What Works".
In June 2023, the Council for Educational Reactivation, convened by the Ministry of Education, presented a report with recommendations to enrich the strategy to address the great challenges presented by our education system and that were exacerbated by the pandemic. One of his suggestions was to "develop an observatory that registers and systematizes experiences reported as effective for the improvement of learning at all levels and subjects" at the national level and also "make them available to the educational system as recommendations for training practices, creating an evidence-based repository." This recommendation prompted Fundación Chile and the Ministry of Education to form Sumar Saberes.
"We are at a very important moment, at a turning point for what is to come. The challenge of reactivation is long-term, how do we project this process of educational transformation, that the learning results are consistent with the investment capacities that the country has in education," said the Minister of Education, Nicolás Cataldo.
"Sumar Saberes is an initiative that seeks public-private collaboration to face the challenges that the educational system has for the future. We are very interested in being able to explore all the good that is being done in educational establishments and kindergartens, to learn about the experience, study it, collect evidence and based on the evidence, scale those that are more significant and that can have a greater impact on learning outcomes," added the authority.
"At Fundación Chile, we feel deeply represented by this purpose and very proud to be able to promote an alliance that installs collaborative innovation between various actors and public and private institutions as a modality of work at the service of improving learning," said Valentina Quiroga, Human Development Manager of Fundación Chile.
Despite advances in Mathematics and Reading, there are still gaps in education in Chile. This was demonstrated by the SIMCE 2023, an instrument that detected that in 4th grade the percentage of insufficient level in Mathematics was 38% and in Reading 29%. Meanwhile, in middle II, the percentage of insufficient level in Mathematics was 51%, and in Reading 50%.
"It is urgent to promote a leap in education, promoting effective evidence-based initiatives, through a culture of collaboration that benefits educational communities, identifying which support initiatives work, what conditions enable their success, how they are implemented in diverse contexts, how they are scaled and made sustainable, to support decision-making," explained Nicole Cisternas, Director of Education at Anglo American.
Isabella Luksic, general manager of the Luksic Foundation expressed that the role of evidence becomes crucial today: "As active participants in the program development ecosystem, it is an ethical imperative that we constantly question whether we are generating a significant social impact. Evaluation not only makes it easier for organizations to achieve greater social impact, but it also gives us the opportunity to learn and reflect on what aspects need to be maintained."
In the first stage, the alliance will create a nationwide map with programs to support the improvement of learning and will identify which initiatives work and what conditions enable their success. It should be noted that Sumar Saberes will work so that methodologically the points of view of students and teachers are included in the survey, because their voice is fundamental throughout the process.
In this regard, the executive director of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, Marcela Marzolo, stated that "from the work we will do, it will be possible to make visible those initiatives that have evidence for the improvement of student learning, making them available to both public policies and organizations of society, in pursuit of the integral development of children, girls and young women".
In turn, Sumar Saberes will seek to project a next phase, to advance in the sustainable scaling of those effective initiatives for the improvement of learning, said Alejandra Garcés, director of the BHP Foundation: "We hope that this laboratory will be useful as a guide for decision-making in the educational field, both at the level of public policies and in the schools themselves. We want initiatives that give good results to be scaled up, to promote systemic change that transforms education and provides tools for the needs of the future."
Finally, Alejandra Grebe, executive director of Fundación MC, concluded that "participation in the alliance is a good opportunity to work collaboratively on an issue of interest to the country, with key and transversal actors in the field and, particularly, with foundations that share a common purpose."
In addition to the institutions already mentioned, the alliance is made up of a Network of Alliances that will collaborate to fulfill the purpose and mission of Sumar Saberes. To date, it is made up of Collective Action for Education, the network For a Chile that Reads, the National Corporation of Private Schools of Chile (Conacep), Collective Effect, Public Good, Early Education 2030, the Federation of Private Education Institutions (FIDE), the Association of Regional Governors of Chile (Agorechi), the Chilean Association of Municipalities (ACHM), Arauco Foundation and Natura Institute. One of the objectives of Sumar Saberes is to continue growing and for more entities to join this alliance to fulfill its purpose.
Through the Building Social Value Program, we signed an agreement for education and childhood in the region, together with the Association of Industrialists of Antofagasta (AIA). The initiative seeks to provide first-class training to early childhood educators who are part of the training programs.
Within the framework of the Building Social Value Program, Fundación Educacional Oportunidad signed an agreement for education and childhood in the Antofagasta region together with its strategic ally, the Association of Industrialists of Antofagasta (AIA). The initiative seeks to promote Early Childhood Education and contribute to the educational reactivation of the region.
Marcela Marzolo, executive director of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, indicated that "through this strategic alliance with the Association of Industrialists of Antofagasta (AIA), we will provide first-class training to early childhood educators in the region, training them in effective interactions in the classroom, through a course with international certification and a leadership diploma." He added that "this will improve the quality of learning for children in the region."
These programs will be delivered free of charge to early childhood educators throughout the Antofagasta region. One is the Diploma in Leadership for Continuous Improvement of JUNJI/VTF kindergarten directors and the other is the IME (Interact Effectively) Continuing Education Program focused on quality interactions in early education.
The diploma course will focus on developing leadership skills for continuous improvement in directors and educators of kindergartens and nursery schools via transfer of funds (VTF) and in Early Childhood Education coordinators belonging to the sponsors.
"Our objective is for students to learn the methodology of continuous improvement and its relationship with the Early Childhood Education Quality Assurance System and its instruments, as well as to implement a project that responds to real and contextualized needs of the educational unit and territory, among other important contents," says Yael Codriansky, head of the Learning Transfer Area of the Opportunity Educational Foundation.
Fundación Educacional Oportunidad will also teach the Continuing Education Program "Interact Effectively" (IME), which addresses interaction as the main pedagogical tool of the learning process, from an early age. "The educator and the pedagogical team must ensure that the interactions between them and the preschoolers constitute a favorable scenario for well-being, learning and integral development," explained Yael Codriansky.
The head of the Learning Transfer Area indicated that the organization, in collaboration with the EarlyEdU Alliance, which is a prestigious alliance of the University of Washington with professionals from the National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning (NCQTL), will allow international certification to be delivered to the educators in the region who will be part of the Program. "The objective is to improve access to first-level, relevant and effective academic courses for professionals who work in early education, and thus impact the improvement of the quality of education in the Antofagasta region," he says.
This program will help students enhance pedagogical practice, specifically, the interactions between educators and preschoolers that take place in the classroom, understand what effective interactions are and their role in the development and learning of girls and boys. In addition, to identify effective interactions and learn to apply them in the classroom.
With a focus on Educational Reactivation, a policy aimed at facing the impact of the pandemic and the suspension of face-to-face classes for two years, Public Education held its first seminar of the year entitled "Sharing good experiences of Assistance and Re-engagement of SLEPs in the context of the Educational Reactivation Plan".
The initiative, carried out by the Directorate of Public Education (DEP) in collaboration with the CIAE of the University of Chile, the Natura Institute, the Arauco Educational Foundation and the Opportunity Educational Foundation, instances that make up the Pro-Nep Alliance, was presented by the Local Services Andalién Sur, Barrancas, Colchagua and Llanquihue, who made known their practices of educational re-engagement with the students of their territories.
The meeting also included a discussion that allowed participants to present their experiences on the use and analysis of data, from its link with axis three of the Educational Reactivation Plan, among other presentations.
The 2024 Reactivation Plan has 10 outstanding projects that aim to ensure the development of the comprehensive education of students. In this regard, Joaquín Walker, executive secretary of the Educational Reactivation Plan, valued being able to collect these experiences. "One of the most pressing challenges not only in Chile, but globally, is the strengthening of educational trajectories. Take care of the attendance and permanence of students. In the entire post-pandemic world, this reality has been affected. For this reason, from the Ministry of Education we are promoting a series of initiatives to support educational trajectories, which have been well expressed in the Local Services. In this seminar we have been able to learn from these good practices and collect experiences to strengthen the work and safeguarding of educational trajectories together with the strengthening of public education."
For his part, Alexis Moreira Arenas, head of the Educational Development Division of the Directorate of Public Education commented that "this experience is relevant to show the learning that Local Services have acquired in the processes of assistance and re-engagement. For the Educational Development Division, these meetings enhance collaboration at all levels, which is a principle that is systematically worked on with the UATP in the different territories of the Local Services".
For his part, Mauricio Pino, associate researcher at the CIAE of the University of Chile, highlighted the importance of working together with public education. "For us, it is key to be connected with Local Services and the DEP in order to support the processes of re-engagement and assistance since it is one of the fundamental issues of the country. Universities must be at the service of public education."
This instance of work that strengthens the re-engagement of Local Services has been encouraged by the Pro-Nep Alliance. One of its members is the Natura Institute, represented by Marcela Ramos Souto, who commented that "For us it is very important to be part of this alliance with the CIAE and the Arauco and Educational Opportunity Foundations, and to support the work that is being done in the Local Services in axis three of the Educational Re-engagement policy. This is an intersectoral alliance where we, as civil society foundations, join resources and efforts together with the DEP and the SLEPs in order to accelerate, advance and share experiences of this great challenge that is educational re-engagement."
In addition to the Seminar, the Local Services re-engagement teams participated in the development of a workshop on data culture to strengthen attendance and re-engagement, as part of the aforementioned strategy.
During the month of March, it was the local service that achieved the highest percentage of attendance of children at this level at the national level. This result accounts for the effort of the educational teams and also of the Un Buen Comienzo Network of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, which systematically reinforces these centers with educational strategies.
Good news was received by the Colchagua Local Public Education Service (SLEP), which includes establishments in the communes of San Fernando, Nancagua, Placilla and Chimbarongo. This is because during the month of March it reached the highest average in attendance in the educational establishments of the New Public Education with transition levels in preschool education, reaching 89.9%.
Patricia Leiva Barahona, a pedagogical technical support professional at the preschool education level of SLEP Colchagua, said that "we are happy and proud of this achievement, which is undoubtedly the result of the expression of the effort of the educational communities, in assuming attendance as a manageable indicator in the logic of continuous improvement."
The satisfaction with the good figures achieved by SLEP Colchagua is shared with the Un Buen Comienzo (UBC) program of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, with whom they began working in October 2021, through an agreement that allowed them to accompany 12 establishments in the communes of San Fernando and Chimbarongo, which voluntarily joined this work.
"SLEP Colchagua has done an excellent job, implementing the strategies of the UBC program, but also monitoring the data properly, which has allowed them to make the improvements visible, and at the same time raise the needs in a timely manner," explained Perla Chávez, head of the program and A Good Start Improvement Network of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad. And he added that "we are convinced that the systematicity and perseverance of this work will allow them to sustain the best results over time."
For her part, Patricia Leiva explained that when the four communes were transferred to the Local Service, two of them, San Fernando and Chimbarongo, had already worked with the UBC program.
Leiva added that Nancagua and Placilla did not know about this program. "For this reason, a 'leveling' was carried out in parallel to the formation of the SLEP-Un Buen Comienzo early childhood education improvement network, training those establishments that wanted to participate in the network, but did not have previous training."
He added that "this was achieved with training through the moodle platform and direct advice, achieving today 48 educational establishments with transition levels trained in the program."
Patricia Leiva indicated that during these last years, significant improvements have been observed thanks to the accompaniment of the Opportunity Educational Foundation. "One of them is the commitment and strengthening of the leaders who attend the educational centers, the educational and management teams that apply the tools provided by the program, embodying it in systematic work and focusing on the learning of the children we serve, achieving significant progress, specifically, in the area of language, but that also transcends the other areas," he said.
Regarding the strategies provided by the UBC program, Patricia Leiva pointed out that "it teaches various strategies to the educational teams, but the one that stands out the most is the Super Attendance, which visits students monthly and has been used as an educational transition strategy in the higher levels, managing to increase the percentages of attendance in some cases of the entire school."
Within the framework of the "Make them Take Off" campaign, and seeking to bring children closer to science, Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, launched this contest.
On World Star Wars Day, Fundación Educacional Oportunidad took girls and boys to visit the Planetarium of the University of Santiago, as part of the "Make them Take Off" campaign, with which the foundation will reward 16 girls and boys with a trip to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, one for each region of our country.
The activity included a guided tour of the interior of the mythical Planetarium building where they could observe and learn about the stars, constellations and history of space and enjoyed an animated short film about the origin of the universe.
A contest was also activated, where 25 double tickets will be raffledto enjoy the "3, 2, 1, Takeoff" route, which will take place on Saturday, May 11, at 3:00 p.m.
"For us it is very important that in our country the importance of attendance at preschool education is discussed. For this we are carrying out the Make them Take Off campaign, which in addition to positioning the issue, will reward children who have 90% or more attendance between March 15 and June 28 of this year. We invite families to register their sons and daughters on the www.hazquedespeguen.cl site," said the executive director of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, Marcela Marzolo.
He added that "along with motivating class attendance, with the trip we made to NASA in January of this year we realized that, in addition, we can promote interest in science and space from an early age. Even some preschoolers said they want to be astronauts when they grow up. For this reason, we carry out this activity together with the Planetarium, which also has this interest in promoting education and science."
David Heyne spoke about a tiered intervention model that is based on the importance of creating positive contexts in schools, researching the reasons why students are absent and using data to take effective measures for each case. The co-founder of the International School Attendance Network was the main presenter of "Creating Opportunity: International School Attendance Seminar" of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, which was held at the University of San Sebastian.
David Heyne has over 30 years of experience working to address truancy. He is a co-founder of the International School Attendance Network (INSA) and on April 17 he visited Chile to share his intervention model that has been successful in reversing this global problem from which our country is not exempt.
Heyne was the main presenter of "Creating Opportunity: International School Attendance Seminar" of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad that was held at the Universidad San Sebastián (Bellavista campus).
The specialist model is based on 3 levels of intervention. The first includes the formation of an attendance team, the creation of a positive climate in schools and the strengthening of relationships with students' families. At the next level, the team should investigate the reasons for emerging absences and respond with personalized interventions. Should attendance problems continue, the team moves on to the third level, where the use of data to make decisions is critical, including collaboration with community partners to address the non-school factors that contribute to absenteeism.
"Today in Chile we have enormous challenges in terms of attendance, especially in preschool education, where figures show that there was an average of 69.5% attendance from March to November 2023, which represents missing more than two months of classes," explained Marcela Marzolo, executive director of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad. He then added that "this is why David's perspective is fundamental and we want to make available to decision-makers and management and educational teams a model that is effective and that has yielded results."
In addition to the presentation of the international expert, the event included a panel discussion in which the executive secretary of the Educational Reactivation Plan of the Ministry of Education, Joaquín Walker, participated, along with representatives of organizations such as the Corporation for Children of Santiago, Fundación Cristo Vive, Luft Salud and had the view of one of the parents who traveled to NASA for the contest "Make them Take Off".
Chile is preparing to immerse itself again in the wonderful world of books with the second edition of Reading Time. This initiative, organized by the Network for a Chile that Reads in the framework of the commemoration of International Book Day, seeks to promote the habit of reading at all ages and highlight the cultural and educational importance of books in our lives. The invitation is to join the Reading Hour this April 23, between 12:00 and 13:00 hours, reading any book from wherever you are and to mobilize in the face of the reading lag of children.
"Reading Time is a special occasion in which we invite all citizens to dedicate at least one hour of their day to reading. Whether enjoying a book at home, in the park, on public transport or in their workplace, we want everyone to immerse themselves in the pages of a good story and experience the pleasure and benefits of reading," said Carolina Andueza, Executive Director of Fundación CMPC and President of the Executive Committee of Por un Chile que Lee.
Event Details:
Date: April 23, 2024
Time: 12.00 to 13.00
Place: Wherever you are!
How to participate?
Choose a book that you are passionate about or one that you have always wanted to read.
Dedicate at least an hour of your day to reading.
Share your experience on social media using the hashtag #HoraDeLaLectura and encourage others to join in too and upload a photo tagging @porunchilequelee
Why is reading important?
Reading is an activity that not only entertains us, but also enriches us culturally, helps us develop critical thinking, improves our ability to understand and transports us to imaginary worlds. In addition, it encourages empathy, improves concentration and reduces stress. The benefits are countless!
Join the Celebration:
This year, more than ever, we need to reconnect with the pleasure of reading and value the fundamental role that books play in our lives. Join us on April 23 and celebrate Reading Time.
For more information, follow us on our social networks at @Por a Chile that reads
David Heyne will present on a tiered intervention model that is based on the importance of creating positive contexts in schools, researching the reasons why students are absent and using data to take effective measures for each case. The co-founder of the International School Attendance Network will be the main presenter of "Creating Opportunity: International School Attendance Seminar" of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, which will be held on April 17 at the University of San Sebastian.
David Heyne has over 30 years of experience working to address truancy. He is a co-founder of the International School Attendance Network (INSA) and on April 17 he will be in Chile to share his intervention model that has been successful in reversing this global problem from which our country is not exempt.
Heyne will be the main presenter of "Creating Opportunity: International School Attendance Seminar" of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad to be held at the Universidad San Sebastián (Bellavista campus).
The specialist model is based on 3 levels of intervention. The first includes the formation of an attendance team, the creation of a positive climate in schools and the strengthening of relationships with students' families. At the next level, the team should investigate the reasons for emergent absences and respond with personalized interventions. In the event that attendance problems continue, the third level is moved to the third level where the use of data to make decisions is critical, including collaboration with community partners to address the non-school factors that contribute to absenteeism.
"Today in Chile we have enormous challenges in terms of attendance, especially in preschool education, where figures show that there was an average of 69.5% attendance from March to November 2023, which represents missing more than two months of classes," explained Marcela Marzolo, executive director of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad. He then added that "this is why David's perspective is fundamental and we want to make available to decision-makers and management and educational teams a model that is effective and that has yielded results."
In addition to the presentation of the international expert, the event will feature a panel discussion in which the executive secretary of the Educational Reactivation Plan of the Ministry of Education, Joaquín Walker, will participate, along with representatives of organizations such as the Corporation for Children of Santiago, Fundación Cristo Vive, Luft Salud and the gaze of one of the parents who traveled to NASA for the contest "Make them Take Off".
ASSISTANCE STRATEGIES WORKSHOP
In the afternoon, and with 60 exclusive places, a workshop will be held that will consist of the presentation of the strategies that the Assistance program of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad has carried out for more than 10 years to promote a culture of assistance, from a preventive approach and co-responsibility of the entire educational community.
These strategies are linked to the intervention model presented at the seminar, which will provide concrete input to be applied in educational establishments.
Strategies can also be practiced to invite parents in group or individual meetings to reduce the days of absence from classes as much as possible. Finally, strategies will be shared so that management and room teams can analyze data with an eye on the attendance of each child.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Those who wish to participate in the event, either in person or by connecting to the YouTube broadcast, must register at https://creandooportunidad.cl/
Our contest will reward 16 girls and boys from each region of Chile. The fundamental requirement is to attend classes 90% or more, between March 15 and June 28.
Considering the challenges to increase attendance in preschool education, and seeking to motivate families throughout the country to take children to kindergarten or school daily, Fundación Educacional Oportunidad will carry out, for the second consecutive year, the contest "Make them Take Off".
This initiative, which in 2023 had about 9 thousand applicants, will award one contestant for each region of our country, along with an adult companion, with a 4-day trip to Orlando, United States, where they will have the opportunity to visit the facilities of NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
The fundamental requirement to participate is that children who attend preschool education, in public or subsidized private establishments, meet 90% or more attendance in the classrooms, between March 15 and June 28, 2024.
The executive director of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, Marcela Marzolo, explained that "we had very good results with the 2023 version, because it allowed us to reach all of Chile with a message about the importance of girls and boys going to their schools every day. For this reason, we want to inspire many more families to continue to give relevance to school attendance, as this can make a difference in their educational trajectory."
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Parents who wish to enroll preschoolers enrolled in the lower middle, high school, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten levels, must enter the www.hazquedespeguen.cl site and complete the registration form. The deadline is June 30, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
Subsequently, Fundación Educacional Oportunidad will hold a draw to pre-select a winner per region, who must verify with a document signed before a notary that he or she meets the requirements established in the contest rules.
ADDITIONAL PRIZE
In this new version, the "Make them Take Off" campaign incorporated a prize for the 16 establishments - one for each region - that have the highest number of girls and boys from the lower middle, high school, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten levels enrolled in the www.hazquedespeguen.cl
The prize will consist of a classroom library, which includes a bookcase and a set of books for preschool children.
