Around 200 secondary schools across Chaco finished professional development programs for educational leaders and teachers this week.
The training concluded after programs organized by the provincial Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology alongside Fundación Varkey to strengthen management and teaching teams, promote virtuous leadership, and improve the school climate.
The courses ran in Resistencia and Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña as part of the Red Aprende Continuous Teacher Training Program.
Participants spent three days sharing the impact of their community projects during closing sessions for the second semester, involving different institutional actors and promoting a new perspective on secondary school that values virtues, identity, and collective work. Educators emphasized explicit virtue teaching, building trust, and recognizing institutional identity.
“Nos estamos formando por y para el estudiante, ese sujeto de derecho que tenemos enfrente todos los días, que viene cargado en la mochila no solo de carpetas, sino de un montón de historias personales,” said Elizabeth Salto, Director of Secondary Education for the province, according to chaco.gov.ar.
Salto urged attendees to turn the workshop conclusions into a cascading effect across their schools, calling on participants to pass on the learnings to their institutions and become role models for their students.
Verónica Pérez, director of the Dandelion Character and Leadership Center, which coordinates this proposal alongside Fundación Varkey, also encouraged educators to let the programs flourish within their institutions, valuing the journey traveled and the possibility of projecting the experiences.
The collaboration between Fundación Varkey and the Dandelion Center aims to foster virtuous leadership and strong community bonds.
Hernán González of the Dandelion pedagogical team praised the dedication of participating teachers during the face-to-face meetings, highlighting the commitment and participation of teachers from Chaco as well as the work developed during the implementation of the proposals, alongside valuing the in-person gathering as an opportunity to share experiences and initiatives linked to virtue training.
“Esperamos que se pueda sostener a futuro y siga siendo un área de interés para la provincia, porque creemos que vivimos en tiempos donde es importante formar virtudes y que nuestros estudiantes se conviertan en buenas personas,” González told chaco.gov.ar.
The provincial government plans to maintain these support spaces for educators. Officials intend to keep prioritizing holistic student development within secondary education.