Positive Impact! Tec publishes report featuring social projects

A center that develops strategies to help with the social needs of the country; young people who promote an ecosystem of wellbeing and happiness in public schools; a project that imagines and builds a new way of thinking about cities: these are just some examples of how the Tec supports society.

In the first 2018-2019 Social Impact Report, Tec de Monterrey shared more than 750 social initiatives carried out by students, teachers, collaborators and Tec graduates.

Several of the initiatives were carried out together with civil society organizations, the public sector, hospitals, training partners, private initiatives, and academic institutions.

“Throughout our history we have focused on forming entrepreneurial leaders committed to improving their environment”, said David Garza, rector and executive president of Tec.

In a virtual broadcast that took place on August 25, Garza added that the report was a starting point for an overview of the results of the projects undertaken by the Tec to support society.

The social projects reported were categorized according to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), revealing a contribution to the global agenda in favor of people, communities, and the planet.

“The next step is to share these initiatives. We want to create avenues for the internal and external Tec community to connect and evaluate their impact,” shared Inés Saenz, Vice President of Inclusion, Social Impact, and Sustainability.

“The Tec considers itself an institution of society for society. It’s an active promoter of social transformation,” said Cynthia Villarreal, Director of Outreach and Social Impact.

7 FORMS OF SUPPORT

The report groups the Tec community into 7 main branches, with community projects being carried out from each:

• Academic projects with a social pulse: Activities generated by class content in which students are linked with communities, organizations, and companies seeking to solve social challenges.
• Research: The work carried out within specialized research centers in different areas such as biotechnology, medicine, and engineering.
• Campuses: The optimal use of resources as well as social impact projects are part of the activities carried out by each Tec campus.
• Students: Activities that result from the work of student groups.
• EXATEC: Projects carried out by associations or groups of Tec graduates.
• Institutional: Programs or initiatives developed by Tec de Monterrey across its different levels.
• Community Service: Social activities carried out by students as part of their studies, in conjunction with different organizations, companies, or associations.

“None of these initiatives was undertaken by Tec alone: they were done in collaboration with society, companies, and the government.

“We need people to know about them so that those who participate are recognized and those interested in supporting them can join these initiatives,” said Villarreal.

ERADICATING GLOBAL PROBLEMS

The objectives defined by the UN include eradicating poverty, reducing world hunger and gender equality.

“The initiatives are presented in the context of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. 

“These are a set of goals that many countries have adopted and include many of the environmental and political issues and challenges facing our world,” said Garza.

The total number of initiatives as classified by the SDGs are as follows:

• 189 within Quality Education
• 144 within Health and Wellbeing
• 96 within Reducing Inequalities
• 43 within Sustainable Cities and Communities
• 41 within Ending Poverty
• 33 within Gender Equality
• 24 within Zero Hunger
• 21 within Climate Action
• 17 within Partnerships for the Goals
• 16 within Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• 15 within Clean Water and Sanitation
• 11 within Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• 10 within Life on Land
• 10 within Responsible Consumption and Production
• 8 within Decent Work and Economic Growth
• 7 with Affordable and Clean Energy
• 1 within No Poverty

SHARING EXPERIENCES

The report was put together by the Vice Presidency for Inclusion, Social Impact, and Sustainability, which was created in 2020.

The virtual presentation included the participation of guests who led some of the projects included in the report.

Among some of those mentioned in the event was #Reto4mil, a project that empowered more than 4,500 Mexican women with low educational attainment and low household income.

Another of the initiatives mentioned was the International Center for Social Innovation located in Chiapas.

At this center, students, teachers and mentors, as well as organizations, meet to develop social projects that will have a positive impact on society.

One of them was the development of a tourist route called Kuxlejal that is centered around groups of artisans from San Andrés Larrainzar, Chiapas, on which the visitor is able to experience the life and customs of the town.

The Tecmilenio program called Happy Classrooms was also mentioned. In this project, students undertaking their social service requirement put their knowledge of positive training into practice in elementary and junior high schools.

“The children change and improve their family dynamics, their behavior, grades and their perspective on life; they acquire new aspirations by the end of the program,” shared Diego Banda, a student from the San Luis campus who participated in the project.

Distrito Tec is another of the initiatives that was presented during the broadcast; it consists of improving urban spaces for people living in the area surrounding the Monterrey campus.

It was explained that this not only consists of fixing up physical spaces but also of providing opportunities for cultural and community activities for the people of the area, as well as promoting sustainable mobility.

Lastly, some of the initiatives carried out jointly by Tec alumni (EXATEC) associations in various parts of Mexico and around the world were mentioned.

Recently, the work of these associations resulted in a Leaders of Tomorrow scholarship, which will allow a young woman to pursue her undergraduate studies at Tec de Monterrey with a 100% scholarship.

THE WORK CONTINUES

David Garza mentioned that the report does not include the projects carried out by the Tec during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“In recent months, Tec de Monterrey has worked on more than 230 social impact projects in different areas: health, technology, community support.

“This reflects Tecnológico de Monterrey’s commitment to the community by contributing through action to the development of our society,” Garza said.

He also indicated that even though some of the projects have been completed, the Tec will continue working to promote more social impact initiatives within the community.

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