Institución Educativa Alberto Díaz Muñoz
Bello, Colombia
Sponsor this school
School details
Student population
Institución Educativa Alberto Díaz Muñoz: 1,179 students
Institución Educativa Alberto Díaz Muñoz (Saturday): 210 students
Pradera Campus: 478 students
Grades
Preschool to 11th grade
Year founded
1994
About the school’s needs
Bello is a city in the Antioquia Department of Colombia and a suburb of Medellín. It is home to the Institución Educativa Alberto Díaz Muñoz, a large school that serves over a thousand students from preschool to 11th grade.
Students at the school are immersed in invasion territories. They lack basic services and face daily challenges, such as a difficult journey to get to school, exposure to the consumption of psychoactive substances, and exposure to situations of sexual abuse. Often, a lack of family support exacerbates the hardships.
Frequent alert codes send out warnings of high-risk situations.
Although going out can be a complex undertaking, the school aims to strengthen the community-institution relationship. They do this by generating spaces for conversation and activities. Indeed, to the community, the school represents a vital space: one of protection, stability, and the possibility of youth improvement.
It represents the opportunity for a brighter professional future for the community’s young people.
Supporting the Institución Educativa Alberto Díaz Muñoz means supporting greater opportunities for children in the future—and a safer environment today.
Help give the children of Institución Educativa Alberto Díaz Muñoz the future they deserve.
Start sponsoring this school today
We’ll reach out with next steps. Thank you for your support!
What your sponsorship does at this school
- Psychosocial support in response to an alert concerning students who are contemplating suicide attempts
- Development of recreational spaces
- Construction of a suitable area for preschool and first- through third-grade children
- Classroom equipment
- Murals
- Furniture, including desks and other essential items for classrooms
- Guidance and support for young individuals regarding life projects, curriculum development, job interviews, and emotional education
- Academic leveling initiatives for elementary school students
- Implementation of mental health programs and a Girls Club
- Workshops on self-care, with a focus on suicide prevention, child and adolescent rights (emphasizing bullying prevention and sexual abuse), migration issues, inclusion, and xenophobia
- Extracurricular programs, especially a Youth Club and Entrepreneurship Club
- Community Cafés for parents
- Remedial education programs
- Empowerment workshops tailored for 10th- and 11th-grade students
Photos of the school
Meet the students
Betlem
“I’m Betlem. I’m 12 years old. My dream is to have the opportunity to help the people in my community, maybe as a firefighter or soldier. In my free time, I like playing, reading, and spending time with my family. I like exploring new things any chance I get.
In our community, us young people have challenges, primarily the dangerousness of the neighborhood, with problems like alcoholism and fights. My dream for my community is to have a healthy space with secure areas for children.
At my school, I would like to see a greater respect for study spaces, especially the computer room. That would help us make the most of the learning opportunities it offers.”
—Betlem, 12
Read more ▼
Melanie
“My name is Melanie, I’m 11, and my big dream is to become a singer. I especially want to sing reggaeton or romantic music. I also want to study at a university that can help me reach this dream.
During my free time, I like studying English and playing with my little brother.
In our community, young people face substantial challenges, especially the absence of parental support and the reality of hunger.
My dream for my community is for everyone to be able to enjoy the company of their family, have a home, and have their daily needs met without having so many difficulties.
I would like to see my school surrounded by more nature, with many plants, as if it were in a natural forest. My classroom is disorganized, so I would also really like to change this to make everything quieter and more organized.”
—Melanie, 11
Read more ▼
Meet the principal
“In our school, we encounter significant challenges in both academic and infrastructural domains. Academically, our primary challenge is fostering students’ interest in their future professions, ensuring that by the time they reach 11th grade, they maintain the enthusiasm to pursue technical, technological, or university careers.
On the infrastructural front, we are committed to ongoing enhancements in the furnishings and furniture of our school.
As the director, my foremost aspiration is for us to be acknowledged as one of the premier educational choices in Commune Number One. Our aim is not to be the best, but to stand out as the option that ensures longevity and high-quality academic processes, becoming the preferred alternative for the community entrusting us with the education of their sons, daughters, and children.
Over the last five years, we have encountered challenging situations, with the most complex being at the infrastructural level, when we had to temporarily relocate from the Pradera Campus due to building damage. We successfully navigated through this situation, thanks to the invaluable support of the community, parents, students, and external collaborators, including the Secretary of Education and the Mayor’s Office of Bello.”
—Principal Astrid Johana Estrada López
Read more ▼
Hear from the school community
Get started today
Every child has the right to learn and the potential to thrive. Help these students unlock their potential.
Sponsor this school