Network of Cerros de Bogotá Schools

The Cerros de Bogotá School Network is a space for integration and active collaboration between educational institutions for the appropriation of the Cerros de Bogotá. It provides tools to public and private schools for the articulation, strengthening, visibility and implementation of School Environmental Projects, or other educational projects, aimed at the conservation, appropriation and sustainable use of the hills of the city of Bogota and the ecosystem services it provides. It also acts as a facilitator of collaborative work between schools and institutions with interests related to the objectives of the network.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Agreement-based or cooperative instrument›Community-based agreement with the support of the government

Challenges addressed

Social cohesion
Nature appropriation / stewardship
Reconnection to the biosphere / environmental education

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The main objective of the School Network is to educate the youth of Bogotá about the environmental importance of the hills surrounding the city and, therefore, promote knowledge about the importance of proper management and restoration of the ecosystems of the eastern hills. Environmental education occurs both in the classroom and through ecosystem conservation projects in which Red de Colegios students can participate. The School Network emphasizes the role of children as agents of change.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

No specific NBS types specified

Good practice characteristics:

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Innovative

Inclusivity

Governance

Non-governmental actor(s)

Initiating body:

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The School Network was founded by the Cerros de Bogotá Foundation. The Cerros de Bogotá Foundation is a civil society organization whose objective is to strengthen the appropriation, affection and knowledge of the Cerros de la Sabana; maintaining as its main goal their recovery and conservation for the enjoyment of the citizens of the region. The Cerros Foundation founded the Red de Colegios with the support of Gimnasio Femenino, a private school, and OpEPA, a non-profit foundation that seeks to connect people with nature. Currently, the School Network is supported by 5 NGOs in addition to the founding NGOs, and by the Mayor's Office of Bogota, represented by the partnership with the Botanical Garden of Bogota.

Targeted actors:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs, NGOs, etc.

Details about the implementation:

Schools that are members of the Network participate in the educational activities of the Schools Network's semi-annual agenda, and are also invited to suggest new activities to disseminate information or to invite other schools to actively participate. Student groups or individual students can also be members of the Network even if their school is not a member. Civil society organizations that have interests related to the Network may join and be linked to the different initiatives and/or propose plans, programs, projects or activities that contribute to its mission and vision. To become a member of the Network, schools and civil society organizations must go through an application process.

How did the government support the instrument?:

The Botanical Garden of Bogota supports the network through the development of curricula for students and the organization of educational activities for the network.

Financing

Sources of funding:

Crowd-sourcing

Budget:

Unknown

Details about instrument financing:

This research did not find specific information about the funding of the College Network.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Did an evaluation take place?:

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

Currently, 67 public and private schools are part of the Cerros de Bogotá School Network, which includes more than 100,000 children.

Success factors and lessons learned:

The Red de Colegios Cerros uses the tools provided by Bogotá's ecosystems to promote education about the importance of biodiversity and nature. It emphasizes learning through experiences, rather than just in the classroom. School students learn to appreciate their local ecosystems, as well as understand more about their importance in building resilience to climate change.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

https://redcerros.org/miembros/ https://colombia.inaturalist.org/guides/4611 https://opepa.org/

Further documents

Weblinks:

https://redcerros.org/