Representatives of the ULS, UCN and CEDUC UCN held a meeting at the offices of the Ministerial Secretariat of Education of the region.

The three Higher Education Institutions (IES) of the region attached to the Program for Accompaniment and Access to Higher Education (PACE) officially met with the new Ministerial Regional Secretary of Education, Luis Tello González, in order to present the achievements obtained by the program in the area.

The PACE Program is a measure implemented by the country's Ministry of Education and executed by 31 HEIs, including 29 universities, 1 Professional Institute and 1 Technical Training Center (CFT), who accompany secondary education students from 574 educational establishments. in 311 communes, of the 15 regions of the country, three of which are in the Coquimbo Region: Universidad de La Serena (ULS), Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) and the CEDUC-UCN Technical Training Center.

That is why, jointly, the three HEIs presented relevant figures to the regional authority of their respective efforts in the implementation of PACE within their work plan. It should be noted that according to figures provided by the Seremi of Education, Luis Tello, the Coquimbo Region is the one with the largest number of students benefiting from the Accompaniment and Effective Access to Higher Education Program at the national level. To which he added that this measure will continue this year, providing support to all students in the country, especially students belonging to a vulnerable context.

The Academic Vice Rector of the University of La Serena, Dr. Jorge Catalán, took advantage of the opportunity to officially welcome Luis Tello in his position as Seremi of Education, highlighting that the ULS hopes to continue supporting the establishments of the Coquimbo Region, hoping to be a contribution to all students in their respective school communities.

On the other hand, the Executive Coordinator of the PACE ULS Accompaniment Program, Viviana Romero, pointed out that the “importance of this meeting is to be able to inform the new authorities of the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Education about the progress of the PACE Program, in addition to pointing out the conviction "That as a public University we have to continue supporting the program within the institution and the inclusion initiatives in access to higher education."

In the instance, each of the HEIs showed part of their operation, so that the regional authority knew what was currently being worked on in the area, and then moved on to a round of questions. The main news was the announcement of the continuity of PACE for this year, hoping to be able to work on the pending challenges that the Program has for 2018 and also continue with the work in each of the educational establishments supported by each of the entities. of higher education in the Coquimbo Region.

PACE ULS

Since 2015, the PACE Program began an escalation stage until entering its regime stage. It is in that year that the University of La Serena was incorporated as a higher education institution in the implementation of the PACE Program in the Coquimbo Region, starting with six educational establishments: Liceo Estela Ávila Molina de Perry of the commune of Ovalle, Liceo Alberto Gallardo Lorca de Punitaqui, Nicolás Federico Lohse High School in Los Vilos, Pedro Regalado Videla High School in Andacollo, Salamanca Municipal High School and Samuel Román Rojas High School in Combarbalá.

By 2016, the PACE ULS Accompaniment Program was growing and opening new opportunities for young people, which translates into a new challenge: the academic success of all students admitted to higher education thanks to the Program, with the College joining it. of Arts Pedro Aguirre Cerda of La Serena, and the Raúl Silva Henríquez School and the El Ingenio School of Administration and Commerce of the commune of Ovalle.

This year, the Program had a new stage of escalation at the University of La Serena, since it received the Gabriela Mistral High School and the Marta Brunet Technical High School of La Serena and the Pedro Pablo Muñoz School of La Higuera, the latter being the only commune until the date that did not include the implementation of this Program.

With the insertion of these three new educational establishments, the PACE Program of the school has a number of 1.605 young students who are being accompanied.

It is highlighted that in the last two years, 66 students have entered in 2017 and 80 in 2018 through entry via PACE quota at the University of La Serena, who are supported in their first year of university life by the Education Support team. Superior, which provides psychoeducational, social guidance and academic tutoring with peer and academic students.

For 2019, the PACE ULS team hopes to disseminate the Program at the regional level and achieve greater coverage of the PACE slots provided by the ULS, consolidating the Program at the institutional level.

Source: Press PACE ULS Program