Chilean City of San Nicolás Joins UNESCO’s Learning City Network, Championing Rural Education
A Chilean commune is gaining international recognition for its innovative approach to education and community advancement. San Nicolás,in the Ñuble region,has been officially inducted into the UNESCO World Network of Learning Cities,alongside the recognition of its San Nicolás Bicentennial High School of Multipurpose Excellence as a member of the Network of UNESCO Associated Schools (RedPEA).
This dual achievement underscores a successful local strategy focused on educational excellence rooted in the region’s agricultural heritage. San Nicolás now stands as one of only two Learning Cities in Chile – the other being Renca – and among the ten recognized throughout Latin America.
The UNESCO designation celebrates cities that effectively leverage resources to promote inclusive learning across all sectors of society, revitalizing educational opportunities within families and communities.In San Nicolás, this translates to a learning ecosystem that extends beyond customary classrooms, becoming deeply embedded in the local culture. Membership in the network will unlock access to new partnerships, tools, and technical cooperation to bolster educational governance and enhance the quality of life for residents, addressing local challenges with a global perspective.
The mayor of San Nicolás, Víctor Toro Leiva, emphasized that this success is the result of a long-term vision. “The visionary and transformative educational model that the San Nicolás Lyceum of Excellence founded more than 20 years ago has come to strengthen peasant identity and in turn project an education that breaks with a national fatalistic paradigm, based on the lack of expectations,” he stated. “This model has generated opportunities for the development of each child and young person, leading them to insert themselves into a world of constant change.”
The impact of San Nicolás’s conversion has resonated internationally. According to a senior education official, the city’s progress from a national example to a global showcase is significant. “If today San Nicolás is recognized in Chile as a city where learning changes people’s lives, UNESCO places us in a global showcase. It is no longer just Chile or Latin America, but we are connected to the entire world.”
This milestone follows years of collaborative work, including the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Latin American Laboratory for Evaluation of the quality of Education (Llece) within the commune.This event reportedly convinced international experts that San Nicolás is an “ideal city” to embody the principles of lifelong education.
The commune will now benefit from technical cooperation centered around three key areas already in practice: Educational Quality, aimed at combating inequalities; Lasting Development, with a focus on agroecology and preserving local agricultural traditions; and Technological Innovation, designed to bridge the rural digital divide.
Looking ahead, San Nicolás aspires to become an international benchmark for inclusive and resilient learning, fostering a diversified economy, achieving high environmental sustainability standards in the face of climate change, ensuring social equity, and integrating cultural heritage into both the curriculum and community life.
San Nicolás joins a network of 71 cities across 46 countries. The Regional Presidential Delegation extended congratulations, noting that Learning Cities are defined by the integration of learning into everyday life – in schools, workplaces, libraries, homes, and public spaces.
– UNESCO’s Learning City Network includes over 425 cities globally, promoting lifelong learning opportunities for residents of all ages.
“We congratulate the commune of San Nicolás and its mayor Víctor Toro for this achievement, which reflects their commitment to the education and development of their neighbors,” a delegate stated. “We are looking forward to seeing how San Nicolás will contribute to the World Network of Learning Cities and how we can learn from other cities to continue strengthening the educational processes of the commune and region.”
Established in 2013, the UNESCO World Network of Learning Cities now encompasses 425 cities in 91 countries, demonstrating a growing global commitment to lifelong learning and community-based education.
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