Liceo Bicentenario de Excelencia Polivalente San Nicolás - Chile

In the heart of Ñuble, the region with the highest poverty levels in Chile, the San Nicolás Bicentennial Polyvalent Liceum of Excellence is redefining the boundaries of rural education. It currently serves 2,505 students, of whom 83% are in situations of high vulnerability. Despite this context, the institution has managed to consolidate an educational model that integrates equity, academic excellence, and comprehensive development, positioning itself as a national benchmark with a person-centered approach that recognizes diversity and enhances the strengths of each student.

This development and evolution have been the result of a sustained process of improvement, based on commitment, innovation, and the ability to challenge historical paradigms of Chilean public education, such as social segmentation and gaps in access and quality. Within this framework, the school is now projected as a Latin American benchmark in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), demonstrating that it is possible to achieve high academic standards in contexts of high vulnerability and that equity and academic rigor can coexist.

The central purpose of its educational project is to generate real opportunities for development and social mobility for students who mostly come from rural sectors. This objective has had concrete effects in the territory: both rural and urban families have migrated to the municipality of San Nicolás, attracted by the transformative impact of its educational proposal. The results support this trajectory: enrollment has grown by more than 700% since 2007 (from 308 to 2,505 students); scores on national assessments increased from 257 in 2010 to 326 in 2023, significantly exceeding the national average; and 93% of graduates access higher education, an exceptional figure for similar contexts.

However, the hallmark of this school transcends academic results. Education is conceived as a comprehensive process aimed at expanding development opportunities from early childhood. To this end, diverse and meaningful learning experiences are implemented through holistic development workshops, "Open Classrooms," and multiple settings that allow students to explore their interests and talents. This approach is grounded in solid strategic management and in the coordinated commitment of teachers, administrators, and the entire educational community.

In keeping with its context, the STEM approach is directly linked to the rural environment, promoting solutions to local issues; the school's outreach is also reflected in the international achievements of its students. Notable among these is the creation of a low-cost Braille printer, presented in Boston in 2015, which gave rise to a line of technological innovation focused on solving local and global challenges, in tune with Industry 4.0. Likewise, sustainability research has been presented at international events such as MILSET ExpoSciences 2025 in Abu Dhabi. In the area of gender equity, UN Women recognized two students as role models in science and technology within the framework of the International Day of the Girl.

All these achievements are based on an innovative and coherent pedagogical proposal. The liceum has been a pioneer in the implementation of Flexible and Dynamic Learning Groupings, a strategy highlighted by the Education Quality Agency. Complementarily, it offers more than 30 elective subjects in art, music, and sports, within the framework of Open Classrooms and Knowledge Deepening Academies, which articulates scientific training with creative development.

At the same time, the educational model incorporates socio-emotional well-being and inclusion in a cross-cutting manner. Considering that 21% of the student body has special educational needs, the institution has specialized programs and three multi-sensory stimulation rooms. Along the same lines, it has developed a distributed leadership model that promotes collaborative teaching work through mentorships, thereby strengthening continuous improvement.

After the pandemic, this school also advanced in the implementation of spaces dedicated to emotional well-being. Based on an initiative from the Student Center, the CREAR room (Containment, Resilience, Empathy, Accompaniment, and Reciprocity) was created, conceived as a safe space for support and guidance for students facing situations of distress, anxiety, or other difficulties.

Finally, educational management is strengthened through a broad collaboration network with more than 20 strategic partners, including the University of Concepción (IncubaUdeC), the University of Bío-Bío, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, ESRI Chile, the Taiwan International Cooperation Fund, Autodesk, and IANSA, in addition to various actors from the productive sector. These alliances enhance both educational trajectories and local development, as well as connections with national and international environments.

This work has received important external validation: in 2024, UNESCO included the institution in the initiative "The Route of Educational Transformation in Chile," recognizing it as a benchmark for Latin America and the Caribbean. Subsequently, the liceum joined the UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet), while the municipality of San Nicolás was designated a Learning City in December 2025. Likewise, the institution has contributed to the OECD Schools+ "Unlocking High-Quality Teaching" report and has been included in various academic publications on educational innovation in Chile.

The prize funds would make it possible to expand the Space-Time Observatory, bringing Earth and space sciences closer to students in rural areas throughout the region.