Page 41 - 2019 Sustainability Report

Top left: The winning team from the Middle Magdalena Valley represented the Colegio Andrés Bello in San Martín, which included: Gerson Esteben Mora Cardenas; Madelin Perez Arevalo; Gerithxell Itzayana Arevalo Ojeda; Yesith Leyva Hernandez, Team Advisor; and Willetgardo Pena Sanchez, School Director. Not pictured are Jaider Mauricio Herrera Torres and Yadira Astrid Balaguera Cordoba
Top Right: The winning team from the national competition represented the Institución Educativa Agropecuaria in Villagarzón, which included: Edwin Alexander Calpa, Team advisor: Alex Fernando Revelo Calvache, Angie Paola Uribe Eraso, Academic Coordinator Leonardo Efraín Ortega Santacruz, and Stefani Oznaz. Not pictured are Aduer Alirio Yocuro Papa, Karen Matyory Toro Benavides
Why did Colegio Andrés Bello participate in PetrolCopa?
Yesith: “Caring for the environment is a fundamental aspect of our school culture. Because water is so precious here the content was very appealing, the students embraced the project immediately.”
Can you describe your project?
Gerson: “We designed a system that collects rainwater and routes it from gutters into grey water tanks that can be utilized to wash cars or water plants, etc.”
Madelin: “It’s a system that could be implemented in anyone’s house, requiring an investment up front but would save money in the long run.”
How did it feel to be the winners of MMV?
Gerithxell: “We were really proud when we won at the class level. We didn’t know what was waiting for us
at the other levels. After the first round of the regional
competition our nerves settled down, we started having fun, and luckily we were able to win for our school.”
What was it like to work with a company on an education initiative?
Yesith: “What struck me was the kindness of GTE’s people. They were so loving and caring that we all felt confident and secure. We wanted to win but were not expecting a physical prize – the students were most motivated by competing and winning.”
What did the competition mean for your school?
Willetgardo: “For our students, this was an outstanding experience of competing, winning, travelling, interacting in different cultural contexts and even being able to fly on a plane to the capital city. They have since become multipliers of knowledge with their schoolmates. Projects like this are very rare, and if it is held again in 2020, we will gladly open our doors to it.”
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