Two Colombian schools nominated for the award for best school in the world: Which are they?
Two Colombian schools were announced as finalists in the Top 10 of the World's Best School Prizes 2025, the award for the best schools in the world, presented by the organization T4 Education.
The goal of this award, which is one of the most prestigious internationally, is to highlight the best schools in the world in different categories.
The country's schools recognized with this award are the Institute of Agroindustrial and Environmental Sciences (ICAM), located in the municipality of Ubaté (Cundinamarca), and the José Asunción Silva Educational Institution, located in Medellín (Antioquia).
The award categories are Community Engagement, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Promoting Healthy Living.
The winners will be selected by a panel of experts. In addition, the 50 finalist schools from the five awards will participate in a public vote, which opens today, to determine the Community Choice Award winner. The six winners will be announced in October. Everyone can vote at: https://vote.worldsbestschool.org/
Both award winners and finalists will be invited to T4 Education's annual conference, the World Schools Summit, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on November 15-16 , where they will share their practices, knowledge, and experiences with peers from around the world, as well as policymakers and leading figures in education.
It's worth remembering that this isn't the first time Colombian institutions have been recognized for this award. In 2023, the San Francisco Montessori Educational Institution in Pitalita, Huila, won the award in the Environmental Action category.
In which categories are the two schools finalists? The Institute of Agroindustrial and Environmental Sciences (ICAM), a private primary and secondary school located in Villa de San Diego de Ubaté, Cundinamarca, was selected as a finalist for the World's Best School Prize for Environmental Action for its innovative approach that transforms the school into a true open-air laboratory, empowering students from vulnerable socioeconomic backgrounds to become active leaders in addressing climate change within their communities.
Icam, Ubaté school nominated for the World's Best School Prizes 2025. Photo: T4 Education
Located in a region historically affected by environmental degradation due to mining, coupled with a lack of resources to build adequate school infrastructure, ICAM faced a troubling reality: only 20% of the student body continued on to secondary education. Faced with this situation, in 2006 the school decided to transform this challenge into an opportunity, transforming itself into a living laboratory that allowed students to take a leading role in their own learning and generate a multiplier effect on environmental awareness beyond the classroom.
The student-led laboratory addresses crucial issues such as wastewater treatment in the region, the conservation of water sources, and the protection of ecosystems that supply drinking water to much of the country. They also address the deterioration of air and soil quality and combat the high incidence of skin cancer through applied research projects on solar radiation, the results of which are already impacting nearby communities and even public policymaking.
For its part, the José Asunción Silva Educational Institution , a state-run institution for early childhood, primary and secondary education in Medellín, was selected as a finalist for the World's Best School Prize for Overcoming Adversity for having implemented a pedagogical model that promotes the development of life skills, leadership, conflict resolution and teamwork, forming academically strong and emotionally resilient students.
José Asunción Silva Educational Institution - Colombia - School grounds Photo: T4 Education
In a community with profound socioeconomic challenges, where many students come from single-parent or extended households, the school identified an urgent need to rethink its educational model to align it with the real-life context of its students.
The school adopted a pedagogical approach based on social development and project-based learning (PBL), which guarantees inclusive education for all, regardless of their background. Under the humane leadership of the faculty, collaboration, teamwork, and socio-emotional development are promoted, without neglecting academic rigor. One of the pillars of the model is the life project, through which students build a personal path with purpose and respect for others, understanding that their choices can open doors to a better future.
MATEO CHACÓN ORDUZ | Deputy Editor, Life Today - Education
eltiempo
