The Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), in partnership with Colombia’s Ministry of National Education (MEN), held the Regional Meeting for Zone 1, “Frameworks for Expanding and Reimagining the School Day within the Framework of Holistic Education.” The event provided a space for dialogue, knowledge exchange and recognition of educational experiences from different territories.
Event was held as part of Interadministrative Contract No. CO1.PCCNTR.9165218 of 2026, with the aim of recognizing the progress, lessons learned, strategies and meaningful practices developed by 94 educational institutions belonging to 12 certified territorial entities.
Activities included working groups focused on identifying challenges, lessons learned, strengths and opportunities for collaboration among educational institutions, certified territorial entities and local communities. The event also featured the “World Café: Experiences that Transform,” a space designed to explore possibilities for adapting successful educational experiences to other contexts.
Meeting also provided an opportunity to reflect on the contribution of art, culture, sports, science, technology, innovation and CRESE education to holistic education. This approach recognizes the diversity of territories, educational experiences and the multiple dimensions of human development.
A Day of Experiences and Knowledge
Shirley Vargas, coordinator of Zone 1 of the project, highlighted the scope of the activities that will be carried out with participating institutions:
“This is the first meeting; we will hold a total of five across the country. We have 500 educational institutions distributed across five zones, with meetings on the Caribbean coast, in Medellín, Ibagué, Tunja and, of course, Bucaramanga. Finally, we will hold a national meeting in November, where we will present the results and bring the project to a close”.
Edwin Javier Velandia Álvarez, from Colegio Manuel Beltrán in the municipality of Guapotá, highlighted the value of the experience:
“It has been a very enriching space where we have been able to share meaningful experiences through dialogue with representatives from the different places that have joined us. We have also learned from the experiences of colleagues, school administrators and teachers, as well as addressed questions related to the extended school day, areas of interest and the objectives of the project. All of this has allowed us to identify valuable initiatives that we can replicate in our own educational contexts.”
In this way, the Regional Meeting for Zone 1 became an opportunity for collective learning and the exploration of new pathways to continue strengthening holistic education based on the needs, interests and particular characteristics of each educational community.
