Coexistence program
Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education, national Coexistence program in Public Education Centers in Costa Rica.
About You
About You
First Name
fanny
Last Name
velazquez
Twitter URL
Facebook URL
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Ministerio de Educación Pública
Organization Website
Organization Country
Costa Rica, San José
Country where this project is creating social impact
Costa Rica, San José
Is your organization a
Please select
Your role in Education
Counselor.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Public (tuition-free)
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
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Innovation
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
In 2008 the UNDP jointly with UNICEF and the collaboration of the Ministry of Public Education carried out a National Coexistence survey with a group of students in 7th and 11th grade on issues related to Coexistence and Human development in schools. The aim of the survey was: 1. Acknowledge whether schools are places for the integration of citizenship and for the development of coexistence styles promoting human development. 2. Establish whether educational centers are ceasing to be capacity building spaces oriented to socialization. 3 Find out the manner and factors to understand the coexistence among students. The results evidenced that Costa Rican educational centers had violence and conflict handling problems among other issues.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The solution to this problem is the Programa Convivir [Coexistence Program], created by a decree which establishes that all educational centers in the country must within its responsibilities develop and implement a strategy to strengthen coexistence relationships.
The coexistence plan is based on the following principles:
1. To learn how to coexist is an aim of the educational system at national level but it is also a challenge to Costa Rican’s democratic coexistence.
2. The healthy coexistence of the educational centers is vital to promote and consolidate a quality education.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
As from 2006 different schools in the country committed themselves to improve the coexistence within the educational community and generate increased students’ identity, roots and permanence through their institutional projects. These schools have evidenced that conflict resolution, students’ motivation and that the sense of belonging and identification of students with their schools can be achieved if work is carried out in an integrated manner and applying an inclusive and human resources approach. In addition to promoting recreational activities, the project includes actions addressing priority needs at schools such as the support of students’ permanence, the promotion of tolerance, diversity and the improvement of coexistence within educational centers.
Some examples are:
Colegio Rincón Grande de Pavas: “Stop bulling and prevention of violence”. Workshops addressed to students practicing bullying within the aim to reduce these behaviors. In addition a work with a team of teachers and leading students was carried out to create awareness on the subject. As a result conflicts within the educational center were significantly reduced.
CTP José Albertazzi: “Pans March”, this educational center is located in a community with high rates of violence, students organized walks with rattling pans through the neighborhoods nearby to create awareness on the community about the importance of improving the coexistence at community level.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Not applicable
Now that you have thought out your entry, help us pitch it.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education, “National Coexistence Program in Public Education Centers”
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
This is program at national level that involves all educational centers in the country to promote Coexistence.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Up to date there is no impact since the project is in its initial process which is focused on training human resources in plans’ formulation and techniques.
However there is a significant number of schools which have in place relatively structured activities that are in themselves strategies to promote coexistence. The idea is to promote that all schools hold these activities through the encouragement of the State, sharing the experiences of those who have move forward and developing new practices. Moreover, it is a participative and democratic process carried out jointly by all members of the educational community.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
The impact in the medium term is to strengthen the community bonds and the sense of belonging in the educational centers, thus contributing to the reduction of violent behaviors and resolution of conflicts in a cooperation and mutual respect framework.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone
Task 1
Provide human resources with training on tools for the implementation of plans.
Task 2
The nucleus will be responsible for summoning the educational community, defining and approving the strategy and appointing indi
Task 3
Establish a mechanism for follow up and monitoring and submit an annual report on results achieved.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Execute the Programa Convivir [Coexistence Program] in all education centers in the country.
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone
Task 1
Provide training on the use of application of new protocols for addressing situations of violence at educational centers.
Task 2
Design and execution of a communications campaign on the Program and its progress.
Task 3
Accompaniment and follow up for the implementation of the institutional plans at Educational Centers.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
The President of the Republic and the Ministry of Education launched this initiative in Costa Rica to promote the development of participative activities aimed at strengthening the coexistence relationships in educational centers.
The aim is to act on the causes generating lack of safety and social violence, thus promoting social relationships based on respect, tolerance, participation and sense of belonging from the educational process.
2. What is it based on? As from 2008, the Council for Higher Education promotes the Quality Education Center notion as an axis of the Costa Rican education. Based on this understanding, said axis aims at strengthening the identities of the educational centers and the respect for diversity of students and educational communities from an integral approach where learning, and mainly the exercise of the coexistence is a key component.
Sustainability
Tell us about your partnerships
The Coexistence Program has developed partnerships with United Nations Development Program who have provided technical resources and with organizations, NGOs, private companies, community actors, physical persons among others.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
The staff working in the Coexistence Program is composed by State officers (Ministry of Public Education) which guarantees the program’s sustainability.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
There is no activity associated with this entry
