In the rolling hills of Ubaté, Colombia, a group of students at the Instituto Técnico Ambiental San Mateo (ICAM) are rewriting their future—one scientific experiment at a time. Once facing high dropout rates, these young innovators now lead grassroots climate solutions, blending classroom learning with real-world environmental stewardship.
Their projects range from developing low-cost water purification systems to analyzing solar radiation patterns using handmade instruments. 'We used to see pollution and feel helpless,' says 16-year-old student María Gómez. 'Now we collect data, propose solutions, and see actual change in our farms and rivers.'
This transformation caught global attention when ICAM became Latin America's sole finalist for the 2023 World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action. Teachers credit the shift to a curriculum that connects textbook theories to local ecological challenges in the agriculturally vital Ubaté Valley.
Michelle Begue reports that the initiative has reduced plastic waste in school cafeterias by 80% through student-designed recycling programs. Their climate models now inform crop rotation schedules for nearby dairy farms—a critical development in this cheese-producing region.
