Both institutions will work together for the benefit of students who will prepare to take the Higher Education Access Test, PAES 2024.
For the second consecutive year, the collaboration agreement was signed between the Universidad Católica del Norte, UCN and Compañía Minera del Pacífico, CMP, for the benefit of the 60 students enrolled in the UCN 2024 Social Pastoral Pre-University.
The seventh version of the educational project included free enrollment for students belonging to the commune of Coquimbo, in addition to a teaching staff of 8 teachers, who will prepare young people in the various mandatory and elective tests PAES 2024 and digital improvements, such as the implementation of the UCN virtual campus.
The ceremony and welcome of the seventh version of the UCN Social Pastoral Pre-University Program was held between authorities, teachers, students and the coordinating team, an event that demonstrated progress, achievements, projections and development of the project. In that sense, the Vice-Rector of the Coquimbo Campus of the Universidad Católica del Norte, Dr. Elvira Badilla Poblete, highlighted the joint work between UCN and CMP, pointing out the importance of providing opportunities and breaking the gap that exists in Chilean education towards students who do not They have the opportunity to get to the university, providing a foundation, “now the results have been quite good and we appreciate the recognition that CMP makes, since it attended to the good results of the PAES 2023. This year we have more scholarship students (…) This is an opportunity that is offered to them and is born from two important institutions that work for the development of the region.”
According to Macarena Herrera Sandoval, Relationship and Shared Value Manager at CMP, all the elements that come together in the Social Pre-University are important and make this project a success. “CMP teachers, parents, executives and professionals participate. We highlight the motivation of the students, who do not miss a single class and are very motivated. The learning capacity they have is incredible, so we are happy to support this initiative and we hope that this alliance with the UCN will train more professionals each year who will contribute to the territories in the Coquimbo region and to the entire country,” she highlighted.
Reducing academic gaps towards Higher Education
The Social Pre-University was born in 2017 in the Department of Pastoral and Christian Culture, through an initiative of the UCN students who wanted to support young people who did not have the resources to opt for a paid pre-university option. Subsequently, year after year, this project continued to grow, increasing its coverage and improving its quality of teaching.
This was stated by Andrea Letelier Galassi, Head of the Department of Pastoral and Christian Culture and Director of the Social Pre-University, who reviewed the progress of the project, “in the last year we achieved total free tuition for our students, enrollment increased, we were able to expand the subjects in which young people are preparing.
“41 students will benefit in 2023, whether they are already in higher education”
Andrea Letelier also highlighted that, “during 2023 we developed a total of 157 classes, 18 PAES trials, 53 tutoring sessions, 13 vocational workshops and 4 meetings of mothers, fathers and/or guardians, who were a fundamental support network in the process of young people.” Likewise, she added, “it is a great and positive impact that 41 students who benefited in 2023 are already in higher education. “It is very meaningful for them and their families, since they are fulfilling a dream.”
For Mikaela Silva Castro, a fourth-year student at the Higher Institute of Commerce, this opportunity will benefit her greatly, “I have always wanted to study a career related to the area of health: Medicine or Nursing and this is an opportunity that was given to me and when “I was excited.” Furthermore, the student invited the rest of her classmates to evaluate this instance. “If you are given the opportunity, take it and don’t waste it. This is something that not everyone can achieve, entering a UCN Pre-University Program.”
It should be noted that the UCN Social Pastoral Pre-University Program is a project that takes place from Monday to Saturday, intensively, between the months of April and November, with the objective that young people can prepare themselves with an academic and vocational focus. to take a good Higher Education Access Test, PAES 2024.
