IQS has launched a new initiative within its IQS Service-Learning programme by incorporating the organization SOTAVENTO Parche de Educación Popular, a Colombian non-profit based in Ciudad Bolívar, Bogotá. This collaboration, aimed at first-year students in Pharmacy, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering, seeks to promote social engagement and international cooperation for Global Justice.
SOTAVENTO Joins IQS Service-Learning with a Cooperation Project for Global Justice
The IQS Service-Learning programme fosters educational experiences that connect scientific knowledge with social action, allowing students to apply what they learn in real-world contexts with a positive impact. This project stems from IQS’s commitment to encouraging social responsibility within its degree programmes and building bridges with international organizations that work toward equal opportunities and inclusive education.
SOTAVENTO Educación Popular promotes education as a tool for social transformation. Its work focuses on providing educational support and training to children, youth, and adults in vulnerable situations, especially in UPZ 69 Ismael Perdomo, one of the most disadvantaged areas in Colombia’s capital. Through various initiatives, the organization partners with other local entities to offer free preparation for higher education entrance exams using community spaces and open resources.
Additionally, SOTAVENTO creates spaces for training, reflection, and research aimed at strengthening community ties and encouraging active neighbourhood participation in improving their environment. This work is essential for the educational and social inclusion of many young people who, despite challenges, aspire to continue their studies and attend university.
Shared Learning Spaces
As part of this collaboration, first-year IQS students will develop educational audiovisual capsules designed to enhance the quality of teaching offered by SOTAVENTO. These materials will connect theoretical knowledge in Biology, Physics, and Chemistry with practical and meaningful applications, creating a shared learning space between IQS students and youth from vulnerable sectors in Bogotá.
This Service-Learning experience will not only improve the educational quality for recipients but also help IQS students develop values of social commitment, collaboration, and civic responsibility. Therefore, the project promotes holistic education based on academic excellence, social awareness, and international cooperation.
The project’s goals include laying the groundwork for joint efforts between students and the organization, strengthening the global dimension of the IQS Service-Learning programme, and encouraging a critical perspective on educational inequalities.
To learn more about the reality in which SOTAVENTO operates, you can consult the report “MUTANTE – ‘We reserve the right to admission,’” a story that highlights how Colombia’s education system can become a segregating factor for many young people.
IQS has expressed its intention to continue expanding this relationship with new proposals already being developed in collaboration with faculty members. This partnership marks a new milestone within the IQS Service-Learning programme, an initiative that promotes innovative educational methodologies to foster value-based learning and put academic excellence at the service of society.