Protecting education: Latin America’s path to disaster-resilient schools
Safe learning environments in and out of schools
15 March 2025In Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, millions of children face significant barriers to education. These challenges include classrooms caught in crossfire, destruction of school buildings by natural disasters, unaffordable school materials, and displacement forcing children out of school.
12-year-old girl participates in Plan International's extra classes to catch up on learning delays. Copyright: Plan International. All rights reserved.
In partnership with the European Union, Plan International is implementing the regional project Safe Horizons: Andean Alliance for Disaster-Resilient Education. Through the promotion of the Safe School Initiative in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, the programme works to minimise the impact of crises on children’s learning, while building more protective and resilient educational environments. The initiative aims to reach over 85,000 children, youth and adults.
At the regional level, the project brings together education networks, national ministries of education, and youth representatives to reach common agreements and frameworks for the rollout of the Safe Schools Initiative. At the local level, the initiative supports 64 schools in being better prepared to handle emergencies, mitigate existing risks, and create a safe, supportive environment for students’ academic and personal development.
Acknowledging that multiple and overlapping crises have resulted in significant dropout risks, Plan International also prioritises school retention efforts. This includes back-to-school campaigns, improvements to school infrastructure, and providing cash and voucher assistance to support continued access to education for children and adolescents.
To ensure ownership by the educational community at local, national and regional level, as well as long-term sustainability, Safe Horizons promotes the co-responsibility in the protection of children and adolescents. By actively working with these groups, the initiative helps create safe educational communities, both within schools and in the surrounding areas.
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This project is funded by DG ECHO, European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Plan International and do not necessarily reflect the views of DG ECHO.
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