The project “Collaboration and participatory governance system between establishments and reintegration programs for educational support,” led by Dr. Claudia Córdoba of the University's Faculty of Humanities' Department of Education, proposes using computer technology to facilitate interaction between schools and programs for the reentry and reintegration of primary and secondary students.
This proposal was formulated with support from the Technology Management Department (DGT) under the Vice-Rector's Office for Research, Innovation, and Creation, an opportunity that enabled improvements from a previous version through the Proyecto Puente.
“This program assists University academics conducting applied research whose projects were not approved in recent calls for proposals from the Applied Research Subdirectorate of the National Research and Development Agency (ANID). According to Dr. Córdoba, “The goal is to provide them with resources to enhance their submitted Fondef project, with the aim of a successful new application.”
Following the award of the Puente-DGT Project, the research team was established, consisting of Dr. Natalia Ferrada as co-researcher, Dr. Juan Pablo Espinoza as a part-time professor within the Department of Education, and Professor José Henríquez, whose extensive experience lies in school re-entry and reintegration programs.
The received support enabled the development of an assessment examining the current collaboration between educational establishments and re-entry programs in serving excluded students. Professionals from Amador Neghme High School in Estación Central and a CREA Equidad Foundation reintegration program, also in the same municipality, participated in this assessment. Through interviews and a day of reflection, the team gained a deeper understanding of the tensions and potential within this collaborative relationship.
Informed by these lessons and aiming for a new Fondef proposal, Dr. Mauricio Marín, an academic from our university's Department of Computer Engineering and director of Citiaps, joined the team. The Fondef project will promote and facilitate collaboration between educational institutions and re-entry/reintegration programs serving students excluded from school.
Dr. Córdoba emphasized, “Our assessment revealed significant gaps, including a lack of communication between educational institutions and re-entry programs. This often led to lost information, delayed email responses, and the absence of a system to foster a more beneficial relationship for excluded students. For example, students working with a reintegration program may face considerable difficulties when trying to enroll in a school.”
The academic noted that the joint day with both groups was well-received. “The day concluded very positively, with both educational institutions and re-entry programs recognizing the potential for collaboration and, more importantly, their shared commitment to promoting and facilitating the right to education for these children and young people. They also acknowledged their individual efforts but realized these were often unknown or unrecognized by the other party, indicating a lack of sufficient interaction rather than a lack of action,” she explained.
Building on the identified issues, the second Fondef project proposal, submitted in September 2024, presents a concrete digital solution.
According to Dr. Córdoba, “Through collaboration with Dr. Mauricio Marín from the Faculty of Engineering's Department of Computer Engineering, with key support from the DGT team, especially Manuel Ramírez, we developed a specific digital solution. This would allow users to access crucial information – regulations, protocols, data on individuals and institutions, and effective teaching strategies – via a mobile application. Furthermore, it proposes a direct messaging system for communication and a task recommendation module to support collaborative efforts.”