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It is an exchange that enhances and enriches service-learning projects or experiences with similar characteristics, already in process in diverse regions, geographical areas or cultural environments. This is how we could define the possibility of developing a “twin” partnership between educational institutions intended by CLAYSS.
On 26th October, in an online event entitled “Encuentro Americano – Estudiantes ciudadanos libres [American Encounter – Free Citizen Students]”, young people from secondary schools in Mexico, Chile and Argentina met and began networking and planning collaborative solidarity actions. The initiative was organized by Civis-Chile, the University of California, and CLAYSS, with support from the Ashoka Foundation. As in 2021 and 2022, this meeting brought together schools from Latin America already developing projects on similar themes.
The invited students lead service-learning projects on two topics: integral ecology and the restoration and revalorisation of local cultural and historical heritage. Initially, each group of students shared the projects carried out in their communities. Later, they tried to think of possible partnerships to develop joint projects. Esther Tolentino, Leonardo León and a student from the Autonomous University of Mexico (UAM, in its acronym in Spanish) participated from different cities in Mexico; Alberto (from Curapaligue) and Víctor and Martín from the Liceo Libertad Lican Ray (Central South Chile) participated individually from Chile. Students from two schools in Mendoza —CEBJA 3 from Maipú and Libertador Simón Bolívar School— represented Argentina, as well as two other groups of students from the north of this country: School No. 217 “Angel M. Soria”, Tucumán, and the Secondary School of the Arts No. 49 in Tilcara, Jujuy.
Nicolás Berthet, director of Civis-Chile, was enthusiastic about this dialogue and mutual enrichment.
Luciana Goles, from Ashoka-Chile, said: “It is very important to have such opportunities because young students have few chances to share internationally. Hopefully, in the future, they will be able to work jointly. That would be wonderful.”
Alejandro Gimelli, from CLAYSS, explained that the aim of these meetings is “to think together about local problems from a global perspective and thus promote the global citizenship education, as Unesco is calling for. In other words, young people should not only be able to think about the local needs of their country, their neighbourhood and their school but open up to the complexities of different regions through an enriching exchange with others.”
We at CLAYSS advocate for such space to encourage other twin-school experiences. According to Gimelli, the ultimate goal of these encounters is to be able to plan projects together.
