This project emerged from the purpose of Fundación 99 to help reduce inequality in rural contexts by expanding development opportunities for local communities. In particular, it seeks to support one of the groups facing the greatest gaps: students in rural VET schools, who often have fewer opportunities and limited visibility of their post-secondary pathways.
We believe that education is a key driver of social development. That is why we work with rural schools, which we see as much more than educational institutions. In many communities, schools are central spaces for community life and can become true engines of local development. This perspective is based on the Irradia Model, which understands the school as a meeting point that connects and articulates the community.
At the same time, we recognize that improving education requires strengthening the entire ecosystem. For this reason, the project promotes structured collaboration between schools, higher education institutions, and local employers. By strengthening these local networks, we bring opportunities closer to students and help them envision broader and more meaningful future pathways, increasing their motivation and expectations for what they can achieve.
This innovation is implemented through in-person workshops where students develop key future-ready skills—such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, digital literacy, and information literacy—through hands-on experiences. These activities culminate in applied challenges that connect learning to real-world situations, encouraging students to solve concrete problems using these skills.
The process is complemented by certification opportunities at a higher education institution. This not only formally validates the learning achieved but also allows students to engage with the higher education environment, broadening their horizons and expectations regarding possible future pathways.
In addition, the project promotes collaboration between schools, higher education institutions, and local companies. Through collaborative spaces, these actors work together to address current challenges in technical and vocational education and to strengthen its connection with the local ecosystem.
Finally, students are given opportunities to experience the world of work directly through activities linked to companies related to their fields of study. This helps them visualize concrete development pathways, strengthen their motivation, and understand the importance of continuing to develop their skills.
The spread of this innovation has mainly taken place through a process of engagement with key actors in the technical and vocational education system. We have held conversations with Local Public Education Services (SLEP) and with VET schools where the project could be implemented, presenting the proposal and exploring opportunities for collaboration.
The reception has been highly positive. Both school leadership teams and education authorities have highlighted the relevance of the initiative, particularly its focus on developing future skills and strengthening the connections between educational institutions and the local technical-vocational ecosystem.
This interest has allowed us to move steadily forward in the design and implementation of the project, as well as in building partnerships with higher education institutions and actors from the productive sector. Through these networks, the innovation is beginning to position itself as a replicable approach that can help strengthen technical and vocational education in rural contexts.
If you are interested in implementing this innovation, you can contact our team to learn more about the model, its guidelines, and the conditions required for implementation. During this initial exchange, we work with interested organizations to confirm alignment around the project’s goals, particularly strengthening future-ready skills among students in rural VET schools.
The model is designed to be implemented in collaboration with schools, higher education institutions, and local employers. Therefore, participating organizations should be willing to facilitate these partnerships and support the experiential learning activities proposed in the program.
The project is currently in a pilot phase. During this stage, we are testing and refining the model, evaluating its outcomes, and identifying the key factors that enable successful implementation. These insights will help us strengthen the model and define clear conditions for scaling and adapting the innovation to other rural and VET education contexts.
