Education
Amid Widespread Poverty, Argentine School Wins Global Prize for Community Collaboration
by Somer Van Benton
This article is part of a reporting project from students at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism on stories from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Half of Argentina’s young people are considered poor. In impoverished neighborhoods like Las Tunas, located outside of Buenos Aires, schools often reflect the economic challenges.
Mabel Pinat is a resident of Las Tunas and is critical of the lack of resources for education at her local school, placing blame on President Javier Milei.
“The fact that the government’s absence will continue to get worse, because we have a president who doesn’t care about anything, he is a president for the rich and not for the poor,” Pinat said.
But in 2024, a different school in this same community received global recognition.
Colegio María de Guadalupe was named best school in the world for community collaboration by T4 Education, a global schools organization.
After the announcement, which the entire school attended virtually, students were elated. Johana Lopez, who graduated in 2024, was among those who were both excited and in disbelief.
“How can it be that our school is a winner? How can we be so special? Not because we don’t deserve it, but like wow, we got to this,” Lopez said. “It’s a huge achievement”
Economic challenges, drug use and trafficking, violence, contamination and health concerns make the pressures of being a student much harder.
School leaders say this global recognition reflects a decade of hard work rooted in Catholic values, said Luis Arocha, principal at María de Guadalupe.
“Family values are very, very important,” Arocha said. “But we also want to teach, a lot of things that are very useful and will be very important for their kids.”
Values such as equality, inclusion, and respect are emphasized through athletic, art, and gardening activities. Instead of using aggression or violence to communicate their emotions, Arocha said students utilize the social-emotional skills they have learned in school.
Solange Rodriguez Espinola, a social and economic researcher, agrees those are tools that students need to secure a job.
“I think that this construction of the individual has a lot to do with it, which is an important responsibility that we have in Argentina for the achievement of the possibilities that are accessible, which is, for example, an education and a good job, right?,” Rodriguez Espinola said.
The school prepares students by teaching emotional, technical and vocational skills.
Inspired by Maria de Guadalupe, Axel Arias, a 2024 graduate, looks forward to a career in physical education.
“It’s a school that is behind you all the time and teaches you that you have potential for what you like and that you have to keep going,” Arias said.
Another key: making families responsible for the success of all students. Parent Griselda Brizuela said that the school expects parents to attend six meetings throughout the year, where they provide feedback and areas of support for their children’s education. Additionally, parents are encouraged to reinforce social-emotional learning at home, which sometimes involves unlearning poor parenting behaviors to adopt more constructive and positive practices.
“We asked each other as mothers… that we would try to get other mothers who never participated to come with us,” Brizuela said.
The other piece of the school’s approach deals with starting a labor inclusion program to connect students with mentors and jobs.
Florencia Maciel was offered an operator position at Volkswagen after graduating from the three-month-long program.
“I think that I wouldn’t have been able to get it because the Volkswagen company only hires relatives of those who are already working there,”Maciel said.
The labor program has helped over 250 students with the support of nonprofit organizations, companies and volunteers.
As María de Guadalupe prepares for the next school year, Arocha said finding additional funding is important. He said that funding would help the school maintain its excellence, and help the school share its methods with others around the world.
Mariana Percovich contributed translation services.
