|  ElCiudadano.cl |  Noticias

El Ciudadano

Original article: Fundación Arcor Chile abre convocatoria a su emblemático programa «Del aula a la comunidad»

Fundación Arcor Chile has officially announced the opening of the 2026 call for its flagship program, «From Classroom to Community». This initiative is backed by the Undersecretariat of Early Childhood Education and the Public Education Directorate, aimed at highlighting, recognizing, and valuing the most outstanding teaching practices in early education across the entire country.

This year, the program solidifies its role as a key platform to emphasize the importance of early childhood in holistic development and the exercise of children’s rights.

A significant new feature of this fourth edition is the expansion of its scope: beyond inviting nurseries, kindergartens, alternative models, and special language schools, the call formally includes transitional levels of schools and any educational project guided by the Curricular Bases of Early Childhood Education.

From Arcor, it was explained that the selection process will prioritize experiences that promote meaningful learning through play, child leadership, creativity, a rights-based approach, and strong community engagement, whether implemented as classroom projects or learning units.

Maria Laura Berner, the executive director of the Foundation, stressed the program’s decentralized focus, saying: «We want to strongly reach all regions of Chile. We know that across the territory there are early education teams doing wonderful and transformative work; this is the opportunity to highlight those practices and give them the public recognition they deserve.»

Recognition and Community Impact

The program not only offers a monetary incentive of 1 million pesos for the 5 selected teams but also creates a high-impact public showcase. Each winning practice will feature in an episode of the fourth season of the web docuseries «From Classroom to Community» and will be honored at a live ceremony at their own institution, where a commemorative plaque will be installed alongside their entire community.

In this regard, Nicole Escudero, director of the Ernesto Pinto Lagarrigue Kindergarten in La Protectora de la Infancia (the winning community in 2025), highlighted that the experience «constitutes a deeply valuable instance of professional validation, reaffirming the importance of our work and motivating us to continue innovating for quality, inclusive, and community-oriented early education.»

Application Details

The application process is 100% digital and will be available until July 22, 2026, through the official website delaulaalacomunidad.vform.io.

On the portal, a representative of the teaching team must complete the registration form and attach the required documentation (project evidence, letters of institutional commitment, and certificates of eligibility to work with minors).

«From Classroom to Community» is supported by a technical intersectoral table integrated by the Children’s Defense Office, OMEP Chile, the National Network of Early Childhood Pedagogy, Santo Tomás University, and the Cristo Joven Corporation.

To resolve doubts or request guidelines, interested communities can directly contact: delaulaalacomunidad@arcor.com.

La entrada Fundación Arcor Chile Launches Call for Applications for Its Iconic Program «From Classroom to Community» se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.