Youngsters from three countries tackle Latin American challenges

Students from Mexico, Colombia, and Chile have presented solutions to social challenges in Latin America with proposals ranging from a platform designed to help young people in hospital stay on track toward their college dreams to initiatives aimed at revitalizing neighborhoods, reducing school dropout rates, and supporting migrants.

These were just some of the proposals that inspired the work of sixty students from Tecnológico de Monterrey, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and the University of the Andes in Colombia during the latest edition of Transform and Make an Impact (Transforma e Impacta), an international leadership program focused on developing socially impactful projects.

Participants worked in multicultural teams for several months to develop proposals for dealing with some of the region’s main challenges.
 

All of the above projects are part of Transform and Make an Impact, an international leadership program created by La Tríada, the strategic alliance between Tec de Monterrey (Mexico), the University of the Andes (Colombia), and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.  

This alliance has been promoting joint projects in education, research, innovation, and social development to help address Latin America’s major challenges since 2018. 

As part of this alliance, the program gathers sixty students once a year (twenty from each university) to work in multicultural and interdisciplinary teams and come up with solutions to social and environmental issues in the region. 

The program combines leadership workshops, multicultural work, mentoring, and project development based on four Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the 2030 Agenda:  

Participants work in teams made up of students from the three countries and diverse disciplines for several months, culminating in an in-person event where they present their proposals to a panel of judges. 

“We bring together student leaders who are passionate about social transformation and multicultural connections so they can continue to strengthen their leadership skills”, explains Hernando Velasco, National Director of Student Groups and Leadership at Tec de Monterrey. 

The call for applications is published each year, usually in March, and is open to undergraduate students at the three universities.  

Institutions select only twenty students who stand out for their track record of leadership and social impact. 

According to Hernando Velasco, National Director of Student Groups and Leadership at Tec de Monterrey, the evaluation focuses less on grades and more on the experience that applicants have gained outside the classroom. 

“What we’re asking for is some self-reflection: what leadership experiences have left a lasting impression on you, where have you put your social leadership into practice, and what projects have you made a real impact on?” 

Consequently, one of the most important requirements is to submit a portfolio documenting projects, achievements, and leadership experiences. 
 

Once selected, the sixty participants (twenty per university) are divided into international, multidisciplinary teams.  

Thereafter, several months of virtual workshops, mentoring, and collaborative work begin, focused on investigating a real-world problem and developing a proposed solution. 

Teams do not choose their members. Each group comprises students from different majors and from all three countries, which enables them to learn how to work from diverse perspectives while strengthening skills like leadership, multicultural collaboration, and the design of social impact projects. 

A case in point would be the 2026 event, which took place in Mexico City on July 20-24.  

During that week, students attended workshops, lectures, cultural activities, and work sessions before presenting their projects at the closing ceremony. 
 

Beyond the projects themselves, the goal is for participants to develop a comprehensive understanding of leadership and build networks that will endure beyond the program. 

“We aim to help students improve in these areas, expand the network of connections and opportunities they can create for themselves and, at the end of the day, ensure they walk away with an experience that (as the program’s name suggests) transforms and makes an impact on them,” said Velasco. 

1. A platform to ensure that a hospital stay won’t derail students’ dreams of going to university 

Location: Colombia 

That concern gave life to a project designed for Colombian high school seniors undergoing long-term medical treatment. 

Although there is already a Colombian program, Aulas Hospitalarias (Hospital Classrooms), which allows them to continue their studies, many do not receive the support they need to get ready for university. 

A team from Transform and Make an Impact proposed developing a platform that uses artificial intelligence to tailor learning to each student’s physical and emotional state to address this challenge.  

This tool would organize personalized study sessions, put young people in touch with university student volunteers to answer academic questions, and provide psychological support throughout the process. 
 

Location: The Yoreme/Mayo community of Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico 

In indigenous communities like the Yoreme/Mayo community in Guaymas, Sonora, the need to contribute to the family income forces some children and adolescents to drop out of school before completing their basic education. 

In light of this reality, a team designed a community program to prevent students from dropping out of school through collaboration among families, teachers, community leaders, and universities. 

The proposal includes workshops that integrate the community’s traditional knowledge with the school curriculum, educational opportunities for parents, training for volunteers, and a community committee to monitor the program and evaluate its results. 

Location: Bogotá, Colombia 

Although many public schools possess technological equipment, not all teachers have received the training required to make the most of it in the classroom. 

As a result, one of the teams developed a proposal to enhance the digital skills of teachers at public schools in Bogotá with a learning platform and a teacher peer-support network. 

This initiative includes courses, peer mentoring, and open educational resources tailored to the needs of each school. 

The project would begin with a pilot program at a group of schools and would then seek to move out to other schools in the city. 

Location: Colchane on the Chile-Bolivia border 

When people apply for asylum in Chile, they receive a document confirming the start of their application process. However, if they misplace this document, getting back on track can be very complicated and may even jeopardize their application, as happened in the case of Randy, a Cuban citizen whose story inspired this project. 

To prevent the future of those seeking international protection depending on a physical document, a team proposed creating a Single Proof of Application for Protection (Spanish acronym, CUSP).  

The initiative proposes that, in addition to a printed receipt, each application should be recorded on a digital platform with a unique identifier that would allow the information to be retrieved and the application tracked in the event of the receipt being lost. 

In addition, the platform would serve to put applicants in touch with support organizations while waiting for a decision to reduce their vulnerability and facilitate access to counseling and services during the process. 

5. A time-out for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others 

Location: Cañete, Chile 

Caring for a sick family member is a task that usually takes up all of the caregiver’s time.  

In many cases, primary caregivers (mainly women) put their own rest, personal relationships, and even their own wellbeing on the back burner to care for someone else. 

With that reality in mind, a team developed a proposal to create spaces for relaxation, socializing, and support for primary caregivers in the municipality of Cañete, Chile.  

The initiative includes recreational activities, emotional support, and workshops in which caregivers can share experiences and build support networks, while specialists and volunteers temporarily assist those in their care. 
 

6. Revitalizing a neighborhood through art, culture, and a sense of belonging 

Location: Barrio Yungay, Santiago de Chile 

How proud does it make you feel to say where you’re from?  

This question inspired a team of students to present a proposal inspired by the Yungay neighborhood, one of the historic districts of Santiago, Chile, which, despite its cultural richness, faces rising perceptions of insecurity. 

After visiting the community, the team found that the problem went beyond crime. Insecurity had eroded trust among neighbors, reduced civic participation, and made many people feel like they no longer belonged to their own neighborhood. 

To counteract this, they proposed creating community networks with cultural and environmental workshops, activities to preserve collective memory, and a platform developed by community members themselves, on which neighbors can share stories, organize activities, and improve communication with each other.  

The initiative also aims to share this information with public institutions to rebuild trust and encourage greater citizen participation. 

Rather than making physical changes to the neighborhood, the project aims to help its residents reclaim it, regain their pride in being part of Yungay, and rebuild the social fabric from within the community itself. 
 

6. Revitalizing a neighborhood through art, culture, and a sense of belonging 

Location: Barrio Yungay, Santiago de Chile 

How proud does it make you feel to say where you’re from?  

This question inspired a team of students to present a proposal inspired by the Yungay neighborhood, one of the historic districts of Santiago, Chile, which, despite its cultural richness, faces rising perceptions of insecurity. 

After visiting the community, the team found that the problem went beyond crime. Insecurity had eroded trust among neighbors, reduced civic participation, and made many people feel like they no longer belonged to their own neighborhood. 

To counteract this, they proposed creating community networks with cultural and environmental workshops, activities to preserve collective memory, and a platform developed by community members themselves, on which neighbors can share stories, organize activities, and improve communication with each other.  

The initiative also aims to share this information with public institutions to rebuild trust and encourage greater citizen participation. 

Rather than making physical changes to the neighborhood, the project aims to help its residents reclaim it, regain their pride in being part of Yungay, and rebuild the social fabric from within the community itself. 

7. Bringing art and education to the children of Tepito 

Location: Tepito, Mexico City 

In Tepito, a Transform and Make an Impact team discovered that many children and adolescents grow up with few safe spaces in which to develop their creativity, build their self-esteem, or discover new opportunities. 

To address this need, a team proposed an initiative that would bring art, theater, and social-emotional development workshops directly to different locations throughout the neighborhood using a truck converted into a mobile learning space. 

8. Turning trash into energy, food, and community 

Location: Las Vizcachas Ecopark, Puente Alto, Chile 

Tons of organic waste end up in landfills every day and generate emissions that contribute to climate change. 

A team from the Transform and Make an Impact program believes that the problem isn’t trash, but the lack of tools and knowledge to make use of it. 

Their proposal outlines a comprehensive solution for Las Vizcachas Ecopark, where organic waste will no longer be seen as trash but will be transformed into resources.  

This project includes a composting facility to produce natural fertilizer, a biodigester capable of generating biogas and biofertilizers, and an urban garden nourished by those very inputs. 

The initiative includes an environmental education program designed to help students, organizations, and local residents learn how to manage their waste and replicate the model in other areas. 

In the long term, the goal is for Las Vizcachas to be the first step in a network of communities capable of transforming their own waste into energy, food, and learning opportunities.  

This project was given the Best Pitch Award at Transform and Make an Impact 2026. 

9. Learning to solve problems with the help of artificial intelligence 

Location: Bogotá, Colombia 

Although more and more schools are adopting digital tools, many teachers still have difficulty using them effectively in class. 

To address this, a team proposed creating Artificial Intelligence and Problem-Based Learning (IABP for its initials in Spanish), a strategy in which teachers and students develop a virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence that supports learning based on real-world challenges.  

The tool draws on the content and experiences from each course so as to be able to improve and adapt over time. 

10. A network ensuring that no migrant mother needs to face a new beginning alone 

Location: Santa Catarina, Nuevo León, Mexico 

Finding a job, attending an interview, or completing administrative procedures can be a challenge for a migrant mother when she has no one to leave her children with.  

A Transform and Make an Impact team has come to the conclusion that although there are organizations, universities, and individuals willing to help, their efforts often remain disconnected. 

Consequently, they proposed a platform developed with Casa Monarca to put needy migrant mothers in touch with the support network that already exists in the community.  

Users can use the app to submit requests for childcare and other forms of support; Casa Monarca reviews individual cases and, whenever necessary, refers the request to Tecnológico de Monterrey students doing their community service. 

In addition to the students mentioned above, the Class of 2026 included students from fields as diverse as engineering, law, economics, education, political science, and business. 

Velasco believes that combination of disciplines and backgrounds is one of the program’s strengths. 

“We have students who are working with nonprofit organizations, who have their own social enterprises, or who lead student groups dedicated to social change. It’s a very solid profile”. 

For some students, the Transform and Make an Impact experience doesn’t end with the final presentation of their projects.  

They return the following year, now as part of the organizing team, to help develop a new generation of young leaders. 

A case in point is Nancy Marroquín, a Tec de Monterrey Business Intelligence graduate. She went to Chile in 2025, where she collaborated on a project dealing with the social reintegration of mothers and children.  

A year later, she returned to the program, this time as part of the support team, whose role was to help participants and coordinate some of the logistics for the international event. 

She was selected for the program because during her time at university she had co-founded Un Balón para Todos (A Ball for Everyone), a community service project that uses soccer as a tool to foster skills like respect, resilience, and teamwork among children in a community in Monterrey. 

She also coordinated teams of volunteers and organized activities to provide educational opportunities for children. 

Participating in Transform and Make an Impact was also a personal challenge because her previous experience had been in education, whereas on the program she worked with a team that developed a proposal dealing with peace, justice, and strong institutions. 

“I loved the program so much that I wanted to pass on a little bit of it to future generations.” 

Today, she says that one of the program’s greatest assets is the relationships that endure after the event. 

“Now, I have friends in Colombia and friends in Chile, and we continue to share ideas and projects.” 

Another alumnus who returned this year was Carlos Rosa, a mechatronics engineering student specializing in aeronautics at Tecnológico de Monterrey.  

He participated in the fifth edition of Transform and Make an Impact held in Santiago, Chile, where his team developed a proposal to expand access to quality education for young people in communities near the University of the Andes in Bogotá.  

He was selected for the program due to his background in the aerospace, robotics, and technology sectors. Carlos has targeted his career on applying these tools to solve social problems.  

He’s a graduate of the Eugenio Garza Sada Global Leadership Program (EGS) and is currently working on a project to build autonomous fixed-wing aircraft for socially sensitive precision agriculture.  

He has also spearheaded robotics projects applied to education, has been actively involved in student groups and STEM programs, and has collaborated on initiatives associated with NASA. 

“I’ve always liked to give a social twist to what I do, to think about who I can help through technology.” 

After his time as a student on the program, he returned this year as a member of the support team, where he helped organize the program and helped new students with academic and cultural activities. 

“I’m thrilled to have been selected for the last edition and to be returning now for the sixth. I really hope that this program continues to be as successful as it has been for many more years to come.” 

MORE ABOUT LA TRÍADA: