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UNESCO holds regional workshop to boost educational innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean
On 3 June 2025, in a regional workshop aimed at those responsible for educational innovation, an initial proposal was presented to activate the ARTIE Alliance, an initiative led by UNESCO that seeks to coordinate the efforts of Latin American and Caribbean countries to promote educational transformation.
This meeting, held virtually, brought together 67 participants from 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, along with other key actors from the regional educational ecosystem, such as directors of non-governmental organisations.
鈥淎RTIE arises in response to the convergence of the interest of the Ministries of Education in institutionalising educational innovation, and the commitment of UNESCO and its innovation ecosystem partners to promote initiatives that strengthen and transform the region鈥檚 educational systems,鈥 highlighted Valtencir Mendes, Head of Education at UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago, during the workshop鈥檚 opening.
During the meeting, a preliminary proposal for the operation of ARTIE and a capacity-building plan aimed at ministerial technical teams were presented. In addition, the use of 鲍狈贰厂颁翱鈥檚 Collaboration for Digital Transformation methodology was highlighted to support the development of public policies that promote the use of technology as a catalyst in teaching and learning processes.
The meeting also highlighted the need to promote sustainability, intersectoral collaboration and the strategic use of data and evidence, as emphasised in ARTIE. The capacity-building proposal was also detailed, which includes an ambitious training offer for ministerial technical teams to be carried out with the support of 鲍狈贰厂颁翱鈥檚 International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP).
Moreover, the dialogue space allowed participants to provide input, prioritise upcoming actions for the construction of the proposal, and share perspectives on challenges and opportunities in their national contexts. Among the main points of consensus was the importance of institutionalising innovation policies, ensuring their long-term sustainability, and strengthening intersectoral cooperation.
With the construction of ARTIE, the aim is to provide Latin America and the Caribbean with instruments and tools to take a strategic step towards a more equitable educational transformation focused on developing 21st-century skills. The alliance is emerging as a key platform to coordinate efforts, respond to challenges such as Artificial Intelligence in education, and accelerate the transformation of the region鈥檚 educational systems.
鈥淲e invite countries, as well as networks and initiatives from the region鈥檚 innovation ecosystem, to join this Alliance to jointly strengthen regional cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our shared objective is to promote educational transformation and innovation through the coordination of joint actions that foster, among other aspects, the appropriate use of technologies, the institutionalisation of innovation, capacity-building, and the exchange of evidence. All of this with the aim of advancing the achievement of SDG 4 and contributing to the construction of more resilient, sustainable and adaptive educational systems,鈥 said Valtencir Mendes, at the close of the event.
For more information on how to collaborate on this regional initiative, please contact: Education.Santiago@unesco.org
