Institución Educativa Comercial de Envigado

Turning students into eco-conscious citizens

Institución Educativa Comercial de Envigado, a pioneering educational centre in Envigado, Colombia, revolutionises education and environmental stewardship by turning students into eco-conscious citizens who tackle issues from air quality to dengue fever. Established from the merger of three educational centres in 2002, the school now educates 2,000 students, using a comprehensive curriculum that integrates Project-Based Learning (PBL) and STEAM+H (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics + Humanities).

This institution is committed to fostering a collaborative learning environment where students are encouraged to engage in research and community service, addressing critical issues such as air quality improvement and dengue fever reduction. These initiatives have notably impacted the local community by enhancing environmental conditions and fostering social responsibility among students.

Leadership at the school, including Rector María Nohelia Ochoa and teachers like Jhon Alexander Echeverri Acosta and Diana Moreno Castaño, champions a culture of innovation and environmental stewardship. Their efforts have led to significant educational reforms and community engagement, influencing public policies and inspiring a new generation of eco-conscious citizens.

Additional activities include interdisciplinary projects that allow students to create practical solutions to local environmental challenges, such as the development of biofuels from algae and the creation of devices to tackle air pollution, purification of the municipal river, machines to pulverise recyclable material and convert them into eco-bricks for construction, the creation of anti-mine robotic leg prostheses and for people with paralysis and sclerosis, and primers and gamification tools to promote Sustainable Development Goals.

Should Institución Educativa Comercial de Envigado win the World's Best School Prize for Environmental Action, the prize money will be used to expand its successful INVENTIPAZ methodology, enhancing infrastructural capabilities to support more extensive projects and ensuring the methodology’s broader adoption, thus magnifying its impact on societal and environmental wellbeing.