Sixth version of environmental education program launched in Tocopilla

The sixth version of the Environmental Education Program in Tocopilla was launched with the inauguration of a 10m² vertical garden at the Pedro Aguirre Cerda F-9 School and a talk given at the area co-work, aimed at training agents of change through the development of centers of interest and a pilot eco-neighborhood.

The program, led by SQM, carried out by Verdical and supported by the Municipality of Tocopilla, seeks to raise awareness in the community about the importance of caring for and respecting the environment, providing skills and competencies to replicate ecological initiatives in their immediate surroundings, activating centers of interest consisting of educational spaces for children, adolescents, young people and adults.

“This program is part of our Sustainability Plan 2023 and is considered quite powerful work regarding environmental issues. We are working with Verdical to empower the community regarding these issues, relevant in daily life, which is why we are working to train agents of change, people with a different outlook. That is our mission as a company,” said Manuel Ossandón, head of Community Relations for SQM.

The program will benefit seven educational establishments in the municipality of Tocopilla: F-9 Pedro Aguirre Cerda School, Pablo Neruda School, E-10 Bernardo O’Higgins School, Carlos Condell School, Arturo Prat School, Estados Unidos School and Sagrada Familia School.  An additional beneficiary is the 21 de Mayo Neighborhood Council, with whom the pilot eco-neighborhood will be implemented.

“We are quite pleased for this to be the sixth year we are working with the residents of Tocopilla. We see the enthusiasm of school communities and neighborhood councils to participate in environmental education initiatives. In addition, we will install a new 10m² vertical garden at Carlos Condell School during the second semester, creating the fifth such green lung in the area”, said Daniela Núñez, founding partner of Verdical.

Verónica Campos, head of the Municipal Environmental Program in Tocopilla, explained that “these small, green lungs have a great impact on the environment, especially when the children themselves show interest in participating in this type of initiative. It is very important for our administration that people feel the desire to create change in the area.”

All these activities will begin in June and go through the end of the 2023. Some activities will be open to the community, via information and invitations on @VerdicalCL and @SQM social media.