Students and a teacher visited the Machín Volcano

By: Juan Carlos Monzón – Communications Advisory Office

The UCundinamarca conceives that the classroom is not the only source of learning; but also realities such as culture, the person, society, the institution, the family and nature, which when they interact, give rise to the expected learning outcome where students act, live experiences and solve problems of the social, disciplinary and personal reality as happened in this case.

That's why Julián Téllez, knowledge manager for the Environmental Engineering program in Facatativá, took on the task of leading these young people to the village of Toche, Tolima. There, one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes with explosive potential lies dormant. Its last eruption, 800 years ago, devastated the entire region. "What we wanted was to raise awareness of how land-use planning and cadastral surveying can be carried out in an area with a volcano. To do that, we needed to understand the social reality of the area.".

Thus departed from Fusagasugá a group of twenty-four students who were in the region from April 17 to 20. “We began our journey in Armero, which allowed us to learn about its dynamics and for the young people to speak with survivors of the avalanche of the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano, from there we went to Cajamarca and then to Toche.

For this restless teacher, it is crucial to cultivate a free individual, one who finds meaning in others and in nature, who, through dialogue and collaborative construction as a guiding principle, forges their identity and personal development, embraces the local and ancestral context, and acts as a transhuman being who transforms reality. “In this case, the students were able to learn about the evacuation plans of the people who live near the Machín Volcano. They also had the opportunity to speak with teachers and local residents to learn about the condition of the evacuation routes and what the authorities have done about it.”.

And it is this contact with society, in open and constructive dialogue, as the Transmodern Digital Educational Model states, that allowed this delegation to become aware of a serious problem there. “The concept I had repeated to them was that a community must adapt to a volcanic system that determines how its social development should be. However, what we found was something different.”.

There, the students realized that the evacuation maps didn't reflect the reality for the people. “They showed us the maps and they do know where to exit, but it needs to be presented more clearly, for example, for visitors. The evacuation signage at the only three schools is also insufficient.”.

Therefore, implementing the principle of University Social Interaction, which focuses on solving problems in the surrounding community, they made commitments aimed at improving the quality of life in these communities forgotten by a government that only looks to large cities, abandoning rural Colombia. “We committed to sending them a map as the students' final project. They have to print it and send it so that the professors can explain evacuation routes to the students. That's why we conducted a cadastral survey of Toche and another one using a drone to generate a complete picture of this town.”.

Finally, this teacher is clear in confirming that the experience was very positive. “They were able to be inside the crater of this volcano and touch the hot ground. They saw small fumaroles and people living there as if nothing were amiss. Beyond the academic aspect, which is important, what I wanted was for them to understand a reality and how, from their professions, they can, in the future, help people in need.”.

For student Carlos Bonilla, this experience was very positive. “I really enjoyed it because I was able to learn about a social reality I had no idea was happening. I was also pleased that, as a result of this visit with my classmates, we have to deliver some maps that I know will be very useful to this community in case of an emergency.”.

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