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ART, BODY, AND TERRITORY WORKSHOPS FOR RURAL SCHOOLS

UE PEDRO VICENTE MALDONADO - MINDO

Niños en el Arte has been working for more than a decade in rural communities in Ecuador, creating spaces where children and adolescents can exercise their cultural rights through art, play, reading, and collective creation.

The “Niños en el Arte – Chocó Andino” project is being carried out at the Pedro Vicente Maldonado School in the rural parish of Mindo and at the SALEM community center in the San Miguel de Los Bancos canton. The initiative aims to strengthen the holistic development of children and youth through educational programs in the visual arts using recycled materials, dance, and community environmental leadership.

The project stems from the need to expand access to artistic activities and environmental awareness programs in rural areas where such opportunities are often limited. Through art, physical expression, and a connection to the local environment, children and youth strengthen their capacity for self-expression, critical thinking, identity, and community participation.

Objective

To strengthen the holistic development, environmental awareness, and critical thinking of children and youth in Mindo through artistic, environmental, and community-based learning opportunities both inside and outside the school setting.

Specific objectives

• Implement arts and crafts workshops using recycled materials and dance for children and adolescents.
• Promote youth leadership initiatives related to ecotourism and community-based conservation.
• Create opportunities for community gatherings through art exhibitions and environmental fairs.
• Strengthen the creative skills of teachers and families through experiential workshops.
• Raise awareness about the importance of conserving the natural and cultural heritage of the Chocó Andino.

Central Axes

• Environmental Awareness and Conservation
• Promoting reading
• Children’s right to enjoyment, participation, and recreation
• Developing critical thinking
• Strengthening a sense of place and community
Who benefits from this project each year?
• Approximately 340 children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 from the Pedro Vicente Maldonado Educational Unit in Mindo.
• 60 children and adolescents associated with the SALEM community center.
• About 20 teachers participating in artistic and pedagogical training programs.
• Families and communities that benefit indirectly through awareness-raising and community participation activities.
What workshops are being offered?
VISUAL ARTS AND RECYCLING
A space dedicated to artistic creation using reused materials and elements from the surrounding environment. Children create artworks and installations inspired by biodiversity, the local area, and their imagination. The process concludes with a community exhibition.
DANCE, BODY, AND TERRITORY
A workshop on physical expression and collective creation that explores movement, traditional rhythms, and the relationship between the body, nature, and community. It concludes with a performance open to the community.
GUARDIANS OF THE TERRITORY
An extracurricular youth program for teenagers ages 13 to 17, focused on community-based ecotourism, biodiversity, environmental leadership, and the design of sustainable eco-educational trails.
Where is the project located?
The project is being carried out in the rural parish of Mindo, located in Ecuador’s Andean Chocó region, specifically at the Pedro Vicente Maldonado Educational Center and the SALEM Community Center—spaces that bring together education, community, and the local area.