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For the District Education Secretariat, the nomination demonstrates that educational innovation also depends on pedagogical models that promote coexistence and the well-being of students. Credit: FFIE
A public school in Bogota has become one of 10 finalists worldwide in the Supporting Healthy Lives category of the World’s Best School Prizes 2026 after implementing a student well-being model that cut serious school coexistence incidents by 85%, kept dropout below 1%, and eliminated reported bullying cases, according to Bogota’s Secretariat of Education.
Colegio Las Margaritas IED, a public school managed by the nonprofit organization Alianza Educativa under an agreement with Bogota’s Secretariat of Education, received the nomination from T4 Education for integrating emotional well-being into everyday learning. The recognition also places the school in the running for the global Community Choice Award, which is decided through a public vote.
Colombian public school earns global recognition for student well-being
The World’s Best School Prizes, organized annually by T4 Education, recognize schools whose initiatives address major educational challenges while advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The competition includes five categories—Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives—with 10 finalists selected worldwide in each category.
Las Margaritas secured its place after judges evaluated its Socio-Emotional Refuge model, which teaches students to recognize emotions, resolve disagreements through mediation, and build healthy relationships before conflicts escalate. Rather than relying primarily on disciplinary sanctions, the approach encourages dialogue, peer support, and emotional education as part of everyday school life.
The recognition highlights measurable results as well as the school’s educational approach. Alongside lower dropout rates and improved school coexistence indicators, the initiative has created an environment in which students take an active role in resolving disagreements and supporting classmates.
How Las Margaritas developed its education model
Located in Bogota’s Bosa district, Colegio Las Margaritas serves children and teenagers in one of the Colombian capital’s fastest-growing urban areas.
The school is part of a network managed by Alianza Educativa, a Colombian nonprofit founded by the University of the Andes together with three private schools. Through agreements with Bogotá’s Secretariat of Education, the organization manages 11 public schools while introducing educational and administrative practices.
Teachers, counselors, and trained student mediators implement the socio-emotional program throughout the academic year. More than 150 students have completed peer-mediation training through the Bogota Chamber of Commerce’s Hermes Program, allowing classmates to help resolve disputes before they disrupt learning. According to Alianza Educativa, the initiative has strengthened students’ sense of belonging, supported academic achievement, and contributed to Las Margaritas’ position among Bogotá’s highest-performing public schools.
Diana Basto, executive director of Alianza Educativa, said the nomination shows that academic excellence and student well-being can advance together. Bogota Secretary of Education Julia Rubiano said the international recognition reflects the value of strengthening students’ emotional development alongside classroom instruction.
Colombia builds on recent international education recognition
Las Margaritas’ nomination follows another international distinction for Colombian education earlier in 2026, when Institución Educativa Jose Asuncion Silva in Medellin received recognition in the World’s Best School Prizes. Together, the two schools illustrate Colombia’s growing presence in one of the world’s most visible education competitions.
Unlike rankings based primarily on test scores, the World’s Best School Prizes evaluate how schools respond to challenges affecting their communities. Judges consider initiatives that improve student well-being, strengthen inclusion, encourage innovation, and create practices that other schools can adapt.
For Colombia, Las Margaritas’ selection places a Bogotá public school alongside finalists from Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, and Oceania. It also gives the country another opportunity to showcase a public education model that combines academic learning with measurable improvements in school climate and student support.
Public voting for the Community Choice Award remains open through the official World’s Best School Prizes website. The winners of all five categories, along with the public-choice recipient, will be announced by T4 Education later this year.
eskimospy212 on July 14th, 2026 at 23:21 UTC »
Nearly every educator I know endorses this approach to learning and I love that they have done this.
I wish non-educators would listen.
ArgentineBeauty on July 14th, 2026 at 23:05 UTC »
https://www.eltiempo.com/vida/educacion/colegio-publico-de-bogota-es-finalista-de-los-premios-a-la-mejor-escuela-del-mundo-2026-uno-de-los-mas-prestigiosos-del-mundo-3566974
Another article on the story from a national newspaper that has more detail. Link is in Spanish but translation below.
The awards, known as "World's Best School Prizes," were created in 2022 by the T4 Education organization after the COVID-19 pandemic, with the purpose of making visible educational practices that generate impact both inside and outside the classroom. The event has been compared to the "Cup of the World of Schools" because it is the most prestigious educational recognition on a global scale.
Las Margaritas IED College is part of the Education Alliance network and serves early, primary and secondary education students in one of the most complex urban areas of the Colombian capital, Kennedy.
Many students in this area face instability and social tensions. In 2023, internal welfare assessments revealed the magnitude of the challenge. Nearly 20 percent of students expressed suicidal ideation, more than 30 percent showed self-harm behaviors, and many were affected by family dynamics that impaired their ability to manage conflict.
Realizing that traditional punishment-based discipline within the education system was not able to practically meet these challenges, the school took a deliberate turn and redesigned its approach to one of coexistence by creating the Socio-Emotional Refuge "Margarita: We Walk in a Pack." This structured space, in daily operation, was designed to help students regulate their emotions, resolve conflicts, and request proactive support before social incidents had a chance to worsen beyond their control.
Designed to prioritise the fundamental pillars of sound academic learning and social-emotional development, the centre acts as both a physical space and a learning system. Access is voluntary and students are encouraged to manage their emotions as part of a mediated process when conflicts arise. Access is structured and requires students to express and describe their needs, so that support is intentional and supervised, turning times of tension into opportunities for dialogue, self-regulation and resolution, rather than punishment.
What makes this model so effective is that it is run by the students themselves. Through a collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá, students are trained as certified mediators, equipping them with the skills necessary to facilitate the resolution of peer conflicts.
Between 2023 and 2025, 119 students were certified, and new promotions are in training. These mediators now play an active role in everyday school life, forming a peer support system that young people can trust, identify with and turn to in their most vulnerable times. Conflicts are resolved quickly without the need for formal disciplinary structures, and the number of minor conflicts in the middle has increased significantly, from 34 cases in 2024 to more than 230 in 2025, showing that more problems are being addressed early.
Academically, the center is performing well and currently ranks fifth out of 46 centers in Kennedy. It also maintains much higher performance levels than other network centres.
Teachers receive five weeks of training covering academic and socio-emotional aspects, so that they can properly apply this knowledge in their teaching practice, with constant support through structured programmes and ongoing professional development. This ensures that a common language around emotions, conflict and care is part of their daily pedagogy. They are also encouraged to use the shelter as a personal support space for their own emotional regulation and reflection.
Since its launch, the school has undergone a palpable cultural shift. Students go to the shelter before conflicts arise, allowing them to take responsibility for their behavior. Classrooms are quieter, recidivism has declined and peer mediation has become a way of life at the centre. Parents point to improvements in emotional regulation, communication, and participation, as well as less tension at home, including how children respond to difficult situations. This connection between the school and family environment has significantly strengthened the student support system.
This approach is also in line with Colombia's education policy, which now calls for the integration of social-emotional learning into school systems. By getting ahead of regulations and developing a structured, data-driven model, Las Margaritas IED College has positioned itself as a practical example of how these policies can be effectively implemented in resource-poor environments.
Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education and the World's Best School Awards, said: "Congratulations to Las Margaritas IED School for being shortlisted for the fifth edition of the World's Best School Awards. This shows that Colombian schools are truly among the best in the world."
Pota also highlighted the role of the finalist institutions in shaping the new generations: "Each of these exemplary schools shortlisted for this world award has contributed, in its own way, to preparing young people for a world that has never seemed so uncertain. It is now more important than ever that our schools train the leaders we will need to meet the enormous challenges that lie ahead, from rising conflict and inequality to populism and the climate crisis." He added: "In their classrooms, every day, these institutions demonstrate what works. And governments and schools around the world should learn from their shining examples."
The winners of the five awards - in the categories of Community Partnership, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity and Promoting Healthy Living - will be announced in November, following evaluation by a jury of experts. In addition, the 50 shortlisted schools in total will participate in a public vote, already authorized, to define the Community Choice Award. The winners and finalists will be invited to the World School Summit, which will be held in London on 16-17 January 2027
ArgentineBeauty on July 14th, 2026 at 22:54 UTC »
It's nice to see a school get recognised for helping kids and not just for test scores.