Puentes Educativos TP

Vocational-Technical Education, 21st Century Skills, Future Skills, Local Ecosystem, Rural Education

Rural technical students lack access to real opportunities and future skills. Puentes Educativos TP solves this by connecting schools with industry and higher education through work-based learning, teacher development, and local partnerships, enabling students to gain real-world experience, build skills, and expand their life and career pathways.

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Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Updated April 2026

Created by

Fundación 99

Web presence

2022

Established

700 2023

700 2024

1.6K 2025

1

Countries

Students upper

Target group

We aim to transform technical education into a system that is connected, relevant, and equitable. Through our model, we seek to ensure that all students, especially in rural areas, access real opportunities, develop 21st skills, and expand their life pathways, while schools become sustainable hubs of local development.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

We created Puentes Educativos TP to address the deep disconnection between rural technical education and real opportunities. Many students lacked exposure to industry, higher education, and future skills. We saw the need for a systemic solution that could expand opportunities, strengthen local ecosystems, and enable students to build meaningful life and career paths.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

In practice, Puentes Educativos TP operates through four components: (1) teacher and leadership training in service-learning (A+S) and 21st-century skills; (2) alternance education linking classroom and workplace; (3) community and industry engagement; and (4) vocational guidance. Students engage in real projects while schools build capacity toward autonomy.

How has it been spreading?

Puentes Educativos TP has scaled from 7 schools in 2022 to 33 today across rural Chile, reaching over 1,500 students. It engages more than 10 partner companies and multiple local ecosystems. Its structured, cost-effective model enables adaptation to new contexts, allowing continuous growth and replication.

How have you modified or added to your innovation?

We continuously adapt based on feedback and rural contexts. We have strengthened our theory of change, refined evaluation tools, and introduced an LMS platform to scale service-learning (A+S) training at lower cost. We also removed the vocational guidance component to focus on areas with greater added value.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

Start by assessing your school’s current challenges regarding student engagement, teacher capacity, post-secondary pathways, and the quality of the networks that the School has regarding industry and higher education institutions. Then, contact Fundación 99 for guidance on adapting the model to your context. We can provide training modules, implementation frameworks, and mentorship to help replicate or tailor the program effectively.

Implementation steps

Stage 1: Initiation Goal: Raise awareness, build trust, and prepare the ground for change.

Components:
1) Teacher and Leadership Development: Introductory training
2) Alternance Education: Mapping of local partners
3) Community and Industry Engagement: First contact Schools build awareness around 21st-century skills and post-secondary pathways. Teachers and leaders receive initial training. First contacts with local partners are made. A baseline evaluation is conducted to understand starting conditions and guide planning.

Stage 2: Implementation Goal: Apply changes in school practices and expand student opportunities.

Based on the same components:
Active teaching practices are applied in classrooms. Students engage in structured alternance with local employers. Schools lead collaborative projects with community actors. Ongoing monitoring supports mid-course adjustments and deepens impact.

Stage 3: Consolidation Goal: Achieve systemic change and ensure sustainability.

Based on the components:
The innovation is integrated into school culture. Teaching is student-centered. Alternance is sustained with strong private and public partnerships. Students have clear post-secondary plans. The school becomes a local development hub. Monitoring and evaluation guide continuous improvement and long-term impact.