UNESCO Peru and BBVA Foundation recognise the impact of Innovative Education Project in Cusco school

On a day dedicated to educational innovation, UNESCO Peru and the BBVA Foundation visited the Alejandro Velasco Astete Educational Institution, located in the province of San Jerónimo in Cusco, as a follow-up to one of the projects highlighted in the "Innovative Educational Projects" competition. This competition, developed by both organisations since 2020, provides pedagogical support and technical assistance, strengthening the capacities of schools in various regions of the country to promote the application of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as a transformative methodology.

The meeting, which took place on 30 November, allowed for a detailed presentation of the educational project developed by the Educational Institution "Agro-astronomy and water springs: spaces for intercultural, environmental and nutritional learning", emphasising the benefits of the technical assistance provided.

To date, the students of the rural school in Cusco have managed to implement the school garden and vegetable garden guided by Andean ancestral wisdom, which also allowed them to care for and take advantage of the two water springs that cross these previously abandoned spaces.

"In this school, we are committed to education based on our ancestral culture. For our students who are the new seeds. Seeds in which we invest our time and knowledge. They are our bet", said Wagner Yabar, teacher of Social Sciences, with emotion.

The Alejandro Velasco Astete Educational Institution has a student population of more than 1750 students. It has a teaching, management and administrative staff of 86 workers and more than 1,500 parents.

"At UNESCO, we embrace Education for Sustainable Development, an approach that aims to equip people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values essential to build a sustainable future and improve the quality of life, both now and in the future. We are actively applying Education for Sustainable Development to benefit students in disadvantaged areas of Peru," said Guiomar Alonso, UNESCO Representative in Peru, in an official statement.

For his part, Nelson Alvarado, Manager of the BBVA Foundation, said that the pillars of sustainable development "coincide with the commitment of BBVA and its Foundation to sustain itself as sustainable institutions committed to the student population and the educational community".

In a gesture of recognition of the development and quality of the project, the delegation, made up of representatives of both organisations and the educational community, inaugurated a temporary exhibition at the BBVA Foundation's Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (MAP). The exhibition displays works created by the students of the Alejandro Velasco Astete Educational Institution, thus highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of the project.

In addition, during the visit, certificates were awarded to the 10 teachers who participated in the technical assistance of the project, highlighting their commitment to educational innovation.