For two decades, the We Learn program of the Oportunidad Educational Foundation has maintained a presence in the municipalities of Paihuano and Vicuña, continuing its sustained work with local educational communities, with a focus on supporting teaching teams and improving English-language teaching practices in the early grades.
In this context, the first Regional Meeting of the year was held a few days ago in collaboration with the Elqui Local Public Education Service (SLEP), an event that marked the start of collaborative efforts for 2026. The event brought together 24 members of administrative teams, teachers, and key stakeholders from the region to strengthen English language instruction for 578 students—ranging from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade—at 14 public schools in both municipalities.
The purpose of the meeting was to share the program’s guidelines and encourage reflection on teaching practices in language instruction. It also combined opportunities for knowledge-building, the exchange of experiences, and hands-on activities, with a focus on reaching agreements for their implementation at each school.
The event also featured an online presentation by María Francisca Kelly, an English teacher and creator of the BUKKU Positive Education model, who presented her approach to teaching English based on games and neuroscience-backed methods to create meaningful learning experiences.
María de la Luz González, executive director of the Oportunidad Educational Foundation, highlighted the impact of this initiative: “Since its inception, the We Learn program has sought to build capacity among educational teams to improve English instruction starting in early childhood, and in this case, it aims to provide more and better learning opportunities for children in Vicuña and Paihuan.”
For his part, Pedro Esparza Olivares, executive director of SLEP Elqui, emphasized that “our fundamental purpose is to improve learning outcomes for girls and boys. In this regard, the We Learn program, which has been implemented in Vicuña and Paihuano for years, contributes significantly to this goal. In an increasingly globalized world, proficiency in English is becoming more important, which is why we value the support of the Oportunidad Educational Foundation in helping students in the Elqui Valley advance in their learning of this language. We appreciate this collaboration and reaffirm our commitment to expanding and strengthening this effort over time.”
Through this partnership, both organizations are working to make language education a priority, focusing on early interventions that will improve the educational trajectories of girls and boys.