Envigado, Colombia

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Education for human beings is an asset of infinite permanence; that is why we are committed to education that can form citizens capable of guiding our society into the future.

Mr Braulio Alonso Espinosa Márquez

Mayor

Urban and rural

Envigado is a city in which 95 per cent of the population is concentrated in 19 per cent of the urban territory, making it both urban and rural. It is also characterized by its biodiversity, and its rural territory includes an urban wetland rich in fauna and flora. 

Vision and Strategy

We want to develop an educational ecosystem where actors, sectors and educational environments converge to respond to the social, environmental, cultural and economic transformations that go hand-in-hand with technological change. We believe that strengthening the exchange of knowledge beyond the school context, designing learning opportunities around a shared commitment to development, and bringing learning opportunities closer to our communities are key to achieving our goals. 

Policies, Plan and Implementation

Sustainability and health

• Envigado is an ecocity that has implemented territorial strategies such as EcoZones to enable the community to face the impacts of climate change and promote the development of environmental sustainability projects in urban spaces. The city is also committed to strengthening its local system of protected areas, e.g. by planting trees.  

Equity and inclusion

• To foster inclusion, Envigado is developing ‘Let's Add Families’, an intersectoral and interinstitutional strategy focusing on children, youth, women, older people and families. The city’s ‘Weaving Dreams’ programme integrates practices that favour the holistic development of infants aged between 0 and 6 years.

Decent work and entrepreneurship

• The Educational Ecosystem, an intersectoral and interinstitutional strategy, mobilizes lifelong learning opportunities for all through activities and initiatives designed to equip citizens to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. The Orange Development Area (ADN) – Innovation Valley serves as a pillar for the development of digital and creative industries, and comprises various actors from the education, social, productive and cultural sectors. 

Good practices

Bilingual Public Schools

• In line with the concept of the ‘global village’, these schools promote the acquisition of a second language among underprivileged students in the municipality, thereby improving their career prospects.  

Centre for Innovation and Development (CID)

• As a strategic learning centre, the CID promotes an open ecosystem that engages with four facets of human experience – evolution, disruption, innovation and technology – as a creative way of building a smart city.

Education infrastructure master plan

• As a learning city, Envigado is committed to innovation in terms of educational learning infrastructure. It plans to modernize facilities, install state-of-the-art technological equipment, develop environmentally friendly structures, and offer citizens greater opportunities for lifelong learning at all levels and in all contexts.  early childhood, primary education, secondary education, education for work, higher education, and education in the arts. This Plan includes the construction of a new block at the University Institution of Envigado which will be used by the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Engineering.