Darío Álvarez Klar was nominated for his work as a promoter of the Itínere Educational Network, which includes schools in Argentina and Uruguay.
Dario Alvarez Klarfounder of the Itinere Educational Networkis one of the ten finalists of the “Medal of Education for Latin America” (Latin America Education Medal), an award for educational leadership that this year will be presented for the first time by the global consulting firm T4 Education and the company HP.
The medal recognizes “an outstanding individual who has demonstrated impact, leadership and vocation in the field of education,” the organizers explained in a statement. With a presence in more than 100 countries, T4 Education also awards this prize in Africa (where it was launched in 2022) and in AsiaÁlvarez Klar is the only Argentine among the candidates for the Latin American award: he was selected from among hundreds of applications.
The aim of the award is to make visible the work of “leaders who are transforming education in their country or throughout the region” and “celebrate and highlight their stories as examples of change”, to inspire others. The winner will be announced in October and will be invited to participate in the World Schools Summit organized by T4 Education in Dubai in November.
Darío Álvarez Klar was nominated for his work in the Itínere Educational Network, which includes schools in Argentina and Uruguaywith 6,400 students and 1,400 employees, from elementary to secondary level. He is the founder of this network that seeks to “create educational communities that inspire, promote equity and offer a quality education that prepares students to face the challenges of the 21st century,” according to the T4 Education statement.
Innovation, educational quality, global citizenship, networking and collaboration, and social impact are the “five pillars” of the Itínere Network proposal.
The other nine finalists are Jair Ribeiro (Parceiros da Educação, Brazil), Tatiana Klix (Porvir, Brazil), Juan Pablo Mena (uPlanner, Chile), Verónica Cabezas (Elige Educar, Chile), Leo Schlesinger (Aliat Universidades, México), Freddy Vega (Platzi , Colombia), María Victoria Varela (School N°240 “Paul Harris”, Uruguay), Marcela Suárez (Johannes Kepler School, Ecuador) and Arturo Condo (Earth University, Costa Rica).
According to the organization, the candidates will be evaluated by a jury which includes Mercedes MiguelMinister of Education of the City of Buenos Aires; Lia Glazexecutive director of the Telefónica Vivo Foundation of Brazil; and Dionisio Garza-SadaCEO and founder of Talisis de México.
Innovation, educational quality, global citizenship, networking and collaborative work, social impact are the “five pillars” of the Itínere Network proposal. The joint with other actors such as universities and companies is a key aspect, as well as the exchange of innovative experiences among the schools that make up the network. According to Álvarez Klar, these experiences are systematized through research with the aim of sharing good practices.
“My activity consists of building bridges between the public and the privateseeking to impact not only my community of belonging, but with a perspective of global citizenship,” Álvarez Klar told InfobaeFor him, it is essential to “be able to motivate and create work teams aligned with an innovative work philosophy”, which conceives education as “the great catalyst of social transformation”.
Although the nomination is individual, Álvarez Klar stressed that he understands it as a recognition of teamwork.
Álvarez Klar stressed that, although the nomination is individual, he understands it as a recognition of the teamwork: “My leadership is about putting together multidisciplinary and diverse teams. I like to think of schools as part of a broader ecosystem, as institutions open to research and exchange with others.”
After working as an educator, administrator, institutional advisor and director of a publishing house, Álvarez Klar became a educational “entrepreneur”. In addition to founding the Itínere Network, he created HUB Education & Innovation, a civil association dedicated to the generation of networks, research and training in the educational ecosystem, with presence in Argentina, Uruguay and Spain. According to its promoters, HUB is “a space for linking people and organizations that are committed to education and culture understood as engines of social change”. Álvarez Klar also directs the podcast series “Online Conversations”, focused on topics of education, innovation and parenting.
The Secretary of Education of the Nation, Carlos Torrendellcelebrated the nomination of Álvarez Klar in a video: “I highlight his ability to articulate between the public and the private. The concept of educational society “This implies that the whole of civil society participates in the challenge of education in a complex world, and this nomination is a symbol to attract others to follow this path,” he said.
The Medal of Education for Latin America “honors agents of change in the places where they are most needed, where the learning gaps “We are facing challenges that stubbornly persist and where deep inequalities persist,” said Vikas Pota, Founder and CEO of T4 Education. He added: “To meet these challenges and unlock the future of the continent, we must build a community of leaders that brings together various sectors of society committed to educational transformation.”
