Mova aims at dignifying the teaching profession in the city and giving continuity to the programs for their professional development. It was created through a participatory process in which their voices were heard within the education ecosystem. As a result, a public policy was created to articulate the institutional support and stakeholders for ensuring the quality of teaching and learning.
Teachers’ participation has been key since the inception of Mova, helping us identify needs or trends for teacher training and development. As an innovation center, Mova has a vibrant and modern infrastructure of 8,000 mts2 that allows teachers to meet, learn, and have fun, with monthly programs for cultural and professional development.
National and international partnerships are also important in Mova’s strategy to showcase teacher’s experiences and help them to connect with their peers and other institutions, such as research centers or universities. We also articulate and strengthen the work of 23 teacher’s networks in the municipality with different events and training according to their needs.
This is made possible by the commitment of Medellin’s Secretary of Education that has defined Mova in 2016 as a public policy for teacher training, giving the institutional support needed and resources to have continuity and impact in the development of its programs.
The implementation of Mova as a public policy in 2016, helped to bring about different strategies for teacher professional development and the exchange of their educational experiences with their peers. Since the beginning, Mova has trained 9,877 people, most of them teachers, but also principals and school administrative staff. It has organized different events with the participation of more than 3,300 teachers and the educational sharing have brought together 1,047 educators. COVID-19 have changed the strategy, so now virtual training and social media connects the audience in the framework of daily trainings and events. Mova’s Facebook page reaches in average 60,000 people per month, with an engaged and connected audience, even from other countries.
If governments want to carry out successful training, research, and innovation processes with teachers, it is necessary to support it with public policies and clear budgets. Participation of teachers, principals, and school staff, is key for their engagement. In the same way, national and international partnerships help to strengthen the learning ecosystem and the exchange of teaching experiences.
