Escuela Litoral Austral

Escuela Litoral Austral, a government kindergarten and primary school in Puerto Aysen, Chile, is empowering students in one of Chile’s most remote and challenging regions through its groundbreaking technology programme and workshops. The school has surpassed expectations and attained extraordinary outcomes in international projects like NASA SPARX and The Space Metaverse International Challenge, paving the way for a new era of educational opportunities, inspiring students to reach for the stars and break free from the constraints of their unique circumstances.

Escuela Litoral Austral’s geographical and socio-economic limitations create significant challenges for its students' educational advancement, including a lack of resources and institutions catering to academic development. These prevent many children and adolescents from pursuing higher education or vocational training. In response, the school has focused on establishing an academic technological pillar, delivering vocational guidance from an early age. By incorporating technological innovations into the curriculum, the school has created a primary education experience that closely resembles professional technical education on a smaller scale.

An epitome of this approach are the school’s extracurricular Innovation and Exploration of New Technologies Workshops, known as T, I, E, N, T. Introduced in 2016, these workshops introduce and develop cutting-edge 3D modelling and printing, web design, augmented reality, digital comics, and programming skills, creating a comprehensive set of tools that equip students to thrive in today’s economy and introduce them to future vocations.

The school’s commitment and emphasis on innovative educational practices has set it apart and garnered international recognition, including being the sole representative from Chile at the esteemed Microsoft Educator Exchange 2019 in Paris. Additionally, its involvement in NASA projects and its selection as winners in the Choose Innovate 2022 contest further highlights its commitment to excellence and breaking geographical barriers through cutting-edge initiatives.

If Escuela Litoral Austral wins the World's Best School Prize for Overcoming Adversity, it will invest in creating a manufacturing and prototyping laboratory. This state-of-the-art facility will be equipped with advanced technologies like printers, laser cutters, programming kits, and more. The aim of the laboratory will be to foster imagination, idea development, and problem-solving within the community. By providing hands-on experiences, Escuela Litoral Austral believes that students can surpass the limitations of its environment.