"Cities have in their community spaces a very powerful key to open doors of effective learning for millions of kids who today are stopping their development too early"
Diego Alcázar, Executive Director of Clap, spoke about the potential they have to create programs that really manage to transform the life trajectories of young people for whom formal education is not working.
Likewise, he talked about some keys in these spaces based on Clap's experience:
Invest for the long term, and focus on the development of learning leaders (the true magicians) rather than the infrastructure
Operate spaces with the passion and demand of successful commercial establishments (such as cafes), solving common barriers such as poorly planned schedules and poor service
Use the wealth of online programs (which has skyrocketed even more in the pandemic) to form efficient hybrid programs that, in addition to the content itself, provide the necessary environment, projects, and accompaniment so that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds can take advantage of them.
Integrate in the same space and time not only workshops and courses, but playful, community and independent work experiences--"the spaces must have the familiarity and flexibility of a living room in a house"
Focus programs on skills applicable to the reality of young people, whether it is to find better jobs, start a business, or strengthen their human development
Provide continuous, agile and human follow-up to users, supported by technology and focused on helping children find and develop their passions
