Education in Freedom

About

“Education in Freedom” (ELEDUC) is a project developed within the Sustainability Office at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. It aims to prepare, support, and guide women who are currently or have previously been incarcerated in accessing and remaining in higher education. The program delivers workshops, tutoring, and ongoing support tailored to participants’ needs and the challenges they may encounter in this path. These activities are led by university students, faculty, and staff, with guidance from a dedicated professional team. Upon completion of their studies, participants receive continued support through job placement assistance and career guidance.

Top 3 learnings

1. We have learned how strong, smart and resilient our participants are.

2. We have learned the importance of bonding, building relationships and trust.

3. We have learned the importance of working with a sustainable model embedded in our mission.

What it means to win

Receiving this recognition would be a source of great pride for our institution. ELEDUC brings the university into direct engagement with one of the most complex and urgent challenges facing our society: the social reintegration of women who have been deprived of liberty. This work is only possible through the sustained commitment of faculty, staff, and students, working hand in hand with civil society organisations and Gendarmería de Chile. The recognition would also stand as a meaningful way to reinforce and expand UC Chile's commitment to sustainability, understood not only in environmental terms, but as deep engagement with its surrounding communities and the complex social challenges they face, and as an opportunity to encounter highly relevant projects from other institutions, from which we could learn a great deal. ELEDUC reflects something central to UC Chile's identity as a complex university: the conviction that teaching, research, and public engagement must come together to drive real societal transformation. Through ELEDUC, we see this mission take shape: a university that partners with others, responds to genuine social needs, and mobilises its community around human dignity and the common good and, alongside the Green Gown Awards community, we could keep growing and improving in this work. We would be sincerely grateful for this recognition, which would motivate us to continue deepening and expanding this work.

Judges' feedback 

A compelling and socially transformative initiative addressing significant structural inequality through sustained educational engagement. The judges particularly valued the institution’s long-term commitment and the meaningful involvement of students, faculty and staff in supporting access, retention and social reintegration. Its strong place-based partnerships and collaborative approach provide a credible model of civic engagement. Further longitudinal evidence on graduation, employment and longer-term reintegration would make an already impressive initiative even stronger.

Sustainable Development Goals