E.dúcate

Edúcate Uruguay is a non-profit organization that strengthens the public school system, specifically in rural areas, through a model that generates an affective and effective bond of children to learning.

Founded in 2009, it has demonstrated to be a proven solution to reduce the gap in the access to educational opportunities between rural and urban children.

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Experiences

“The aim of the foundation is that students in rural schools have the same opportunities as urban schools, and I witness that this was achieved, with a wide range of varied and significant resources, in addition to giving teachers the tools and strategies to achieve these advances.

In Salto there is a before and after of E-dúcate, that is why we value the support they give us and the teachings they leave us.”

Leslie Montero

Maestra/Directora, Escuela N° 104, Puntas de cañas, Salto.

Soledad Pereyra

Maestra Capder, Flores.

“The health emergency strengthened the use of technology through the TEAMS platform. There were test video calls and a first approach to the platform to familiarize the participating teachers. The tour allowed us to know the digital tool, its strengths and it’s easy use. The members of E-dúcate were giving confidence to go through it and how to quickly find materials, presentations, etc. that will be used in the different virtual workshops.

The disposition of its directors and teachers and their low profile stand out, so that learning in teachers would take place easily. This constructed knowledge had to be acquired in order to be transmitted to the children of the multigrade classrooms in an entertaining, simple, enriching and attractive way. And that is what happened in this first semester, which we are sure, will continue in this next part of the year.

This knowledge was made visible in the presentations that were shared in the Knowledge Meetings with teachers from other departments. From Flores, there were presentations that allowed them to see what was done with their students in a non-face-to-face way. In addition, the teachers came together to share work experiences, as a way of promoting pedagogical groupings among teachers. It is noteworthy that the participating teachers do so voluntarily and have expressed their interest in continuing it, although in previous years they were in other rural schools.”

“We started the writing project (La Brujula) with great expectations. To my surprise, I never thought Viking culture was so compelling among my students.

When researching about the Vikings came up it was great, they got soaked in the subject to the point that we asked them to build some representative element of that culture. One of my students, who attends little to school and much less does homework, came prepared with a helmet, shield and sword, with materials that he found at home. With these elements the writing began under the suggestions proposed by the E-ducate workshop.

The truth is that they are delighted and motivated to write, as a teacher I am surprised by the interest.

The creativity that they put into the projects makes us as teachers be amazed at the results that our students can obtain.

A month ago I had a student that I couldn’t come to and now he’s another boy, so long live the Vikings and long live E-ducate!”

Graciela García

Maestra, Escuela 60 Monte Coral, Florida

Fernando Senllanes Santana

Maestro Capder, Cerro Largo

“This year the entire educational system has suffered the consequences of the Global Pandemic of COVID 19, with the recommendations of “Stay at Home”, many young students stopped attending the educational premises in person, for almost three months, at the moment we come back virtually. In this sense, in the primary educational framework, the Ceibal Plan has been of vital importance, allowing most of the students to connect to virtual classes through various platforms.

In this framework, the work of the E-ducate Foundation is promoted, an organization that has been making excellent contributions from the technical didactic (Exploration Zone Workshops on a regular basis and the start of the Mobile Library Project), since 2019 in the Department of Cerro Largo. This year, and in the context of the Global Pandemic, the face-to-face workshops of the Read is a Journey program were resented, therefore, “the virtual ” was used, using the TEAMS platform to connect with the teaching community. Some strengths and opportunities generated from working with this modality are outlined below:

  • Implementing virtual workshops made it possible not to lose contact with teachers, stimulating them and generating spaces for exchange.
  • From the virtual point of view, it was necessary for teachers to adapt their educational practices, aimed at their students, in this sense, the Reading is a Journey workshops provided more than valuable tools, which encouraged ingenuity and inventiveness in each practice reading that takes place in the classroom.
  • The virtual format makes it easier to participate in the workshops, because they can do it from their homes.
  • The material provided by the program was and is of great help in the daily class work.
  • The Mobile Library Backpacks are an engine that generates enthusiasm and encouragement to read for pleasure.
  • The workshops with the workshop leader are very rich in content and applicability, being a two-way relationship, where it is clearly noted that knowledge is being built day by day, with returns that always tend to go further, challenging teachers and students.”