During a virtual event the Colombianitos Foundation presented its new curriculum “"Estamos dejando huella en nuestro planeta", whose objective is to teach boys and girls on environmental sustainability and quality of life, elaborating in 2020 with the help of UNESCO.  

During two hours, more than 800 people connected virtually and partook in seven experiences of different sectors to practice the protection of the environment. With representatives from UNESCO, Parques Naturales Nacionales de Colombia, Ejército Nacional, Kimberly Clarck company, a child environmental activist and the Colombianitos Foundation coordinator who lead the construction process of the curriculum.

The idea for this project surged in the Colombianitos Foundation with the mission to contribute to the formation of boys, girls and young adults in environmental sustainability and quality of life, demonstrating the need for society to have an environmental conscience that transcends and demonstrates itself in daily actions, as much in individuals as in groups.

For Gladys Sanmiguel, Executive Director of the Colombianitos Foundation, this curriculum looks to form sustainable practices in communities through sensibilization, appropriation and experiences inside the education to contribute to the development of sustainability and world citizenship, with the end goal to promote leadership action and the creation of an environmental conscience.

Furthermore, she emphasized that all of the activities in the curriculum have an inspirational aspect in which the participants can demonstrate healthy and sustainable actions in different parts of the world.

Construction of the Curriculum

Diana Toledo, coordinator of the curriculum in environmental sustainability and quality of life of Colombianitos, explained that the idea of the project started as early as 2019, when actions on sustainable consumption were being generated in educated communities, promoting respect for natural resources through reuse and recycling practices.

But in 2020, on par with activities that reinforced self care habits in students and families due to the pandemic, like hand washing, wearing masks and social distancing, the structure of the curriculum was started with the help of UNESCO, using the methodology "Juguemos for la Paz" (Let's play for peace), with activities that contain an educational aspect that allows for development in a fun way.

" The support of UNESCO was very valuable during the whole process of creating the curriculum, thanks to all their experience and recognition as leaders in education for the sustainable development and education, the result is satisfactory", signaled Toledo.

The curriculum “"Estamos dejando huella en nuestro planeta", (We are leaving a mark on our planet) is designed to create education institutions in general communities, made up of 20 activities that allow for the explorations of themes such as: economic circularity, habits for a healthy life and sustainability. The components of the curriculum also allowed for the creation of field activities such as the creation of patches, recognition of the territory, evaluation of local and global environmental problems.

In 2020, while the curriculum has been elaborated, many of its components were applied in six different educational institutions, helping 1000 student and 36 teachers in three municipalities : Barbosa, Antioquia, Puerto Tejada, Cauca and Tocancipá, Cundinamarca, generated sustainable consumer actions that promote respect for natural resources.

Other experiences in environmental sustainability

During the webinar "Jugamos distinto for el media ambience" (We play differently for the environment) we met other experiences who had as an objective to bring environmental sustainability from different sectors.

These are some of the more prominent additions of each intercession:

Francisco Vera, an 11 year old boy, is an Ambassador of Buena Voluntad de la Unión Europea in Colombia, he considers himself an activist in the defense of life and the environment.

For Francisco, "Sustainability and life are integral themes, that do not only make reference to the environment but development as a whole".

He celebrates this type of alliance between institutions like UNESCO and the Colombianitos Foundation that looks to unite forces in order to create tools that forms and educate environmental sustainability.

This activist considers it important to take action every day, in every sector, activities that generate environmental conscience in citizenship and for this education is fundamental, an indispensable tool.  

UNESCO participated with two representatives, Romina Kasman, UNESCO's specialist of the Regional Office and Education program in Latin América and Caribbean, and Cristian Bravo, UNESCO's specialist in education in Santiago de Chile. 

For Romina, education has the power to change the world and in actuality there is a focus directed in sustainable development. She assured that UNESCO sound on projects and that all the students need practical theories and teachings in order to promote sustainable development through education.

Cristian Bravo, emphasized that global citizenship is a strategic area for UNESCO, additionally, he says that society needs to learn quickly how to live differently " changing what we know, in what we believe and what we do".

Carolina Jarro, deputy director of management in Protected National Parks of Colombia, emphasize in her participation that 2 years ago the National government and the institution, through agreements, were able to complete the goal of biological diversity protecting 13.80% of our costal marine territory.

In addition to working in rural areas in which the indications of vulnerability are higher, in order to improve the quality of life through alliances, that benefit the populations that live around the parks.

Other participants included Colonel Juan Carlos Vanegas, Director of Territorial Control of the National Army Operations, who spoke about strategies that the military is implementing to protect natural resources.

Thanks to the "Artemisa" operations since 2019, complete recovery has been achieved for 10,734 hectares that had been affected by deforestation and environmental crimes.

“Se está trabajando permanentemente en la recuperación del medio ambiente con siembra de árboles nativos, frailejones, recolección de residuos, entre otras acciones de cuidado por el medio ambiente con más de 1.700 soldados formados y educados para este fin”, afirmó el Coronel Juan Carlos Vanegas.

In the industrial sector was, Natalia Augier, leader of the Communications team at Kimberly Clark Latinoamérica Norte, she emphasized the importance of alliances like the one developed at Kimberly Clark and the Colombianitos Foundation, that during 16 Yeats had worked together to support communities of different areas of the country in a variety of focuses, in the protection of the environment and making the most out of the general resources. 

They emphasized the work that had been the center in the municipalities of Barbosa (Antioquia), Puerto Tejada (Cauca) and Tocancipá (Cundinamarce), where in the last few years recycling activities have been implemented in educational spaces involving, teachesr, students, directors and parents.

With the curriculum “Estamos dejando huella en nuestro planeta” (We are leaving a mark on our planet) The Colombianitos Foundation reinforces their promise in: the formation of boys and girls' commitment to environmental sustainability, development of investigational skills, leadership and citizenship that promote critical and creative thinking, communication and reflection in communities.

Relive the webinar ‘Jugamos distinto por el medio ambiente’