The UC Vice-Rectorate for International Affairs participates in the Volunteer Day of the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico

Since 2017, Tecnológico de Monterrey (TEC) – one of the most important universities in Mexico – has organized the ” Voluntariado Tec ” program, a space that since its beginnings has brought together more than 14,000 volunteers linked to the community of that university, who carry out social activities that contribute to the improvement of the quality of life and the environment.

For the fifth edition of this program—held between November 16 and 19, 2021—members of TEC, the University of Los Andes in Colombia, and the Catholic University of Chile participated together for the first time. “The three universities carried out activities in schools and educational institutions in their respective countries and, in some cases, participated virtually by giving workshops to children in Mexico,” explains Paulina Salazar, volunteer coordinator at TEC.

The collaboration of the three universities on this project consolidates the work developed during 2021 through La Tríada, a collaborative initiative among the three highest-ranked non-governmental universities in Latin America in the areas of research, educational innovation, and exchanges. “This first collaboration of La Tríada in this volunteer effort marks the beginning of strengthening existing collaboration from new perspectives and allows us to envision new initiatives in which the universities continue to take action on shared challenges,” says Salazar, adding that the activities carried out by 4,000 volunteers positively impacted more than 33,000 children and adolescents in Latin America.

VRAI Participation

The focus of these workshops was on a safe return to classrooms after school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred schools across the three Latin American countries received support through mural painting, cleaning and facility improvements, and virtual workshops on emotional well-being, technology skills, and returning to the classroom.

The UC participated through the Deputy Vice-Rectorate for International Affairs (VRAI) in the virtual workshops, while the UC Pastoral joined in by painting a mural of the San Alberto Hurtado school in Quilicura, of the Archdiocese of Santiago.

On behalf of VRAI, Cristian Díaz Castro, director of the global mobility area, and Caterina Labrín, international mobility manager, participated as volunteers in the online workshops: while Díaz was in the “DivierteT” sessions, which involved recreational activities for boys and girls, Labrín participated in “Kool days” which dealt with the identification and management of positive emotions.

“It is very important that we come together as a global community in a permanent commitment to international collaboration and in this way contribute to global well-being. The workshops focused precisely on that: getting to know each other and meeting with our loved ones for a safe return to school,” says Cristián Díaz.

Eight UC students joined the VRAI team after responding to a call for volunteers from the Vice-Rector’s office. The UC students found their involvement in this activity valuable, highlighting the opportunity to learn about other realities and teach children how to cultivate positive emotions. They also commented on the intercultural enrichment the activity provided and the leadership development they gained from being in charge of a group of children.