On Saturday, October 5, the William Killpatrick School in the Santiago borough of Las Condes, hosted a day dedicated to strengthening student councils, bringing together student representatives from various local schools along with their faculty advisors. Organized by Momento Ciudadano —an NGO founded and directed by Teachers College alumnus Rodrigo Mayorga (TC'20)—with the support of the Santiago Center, the event aimed to equip students with tools to better fulfill their roles as leaders, while reflecting on the importance of democratic participation within their school communities.
During the event—attended by representatives from more than 10 schools in the Las Condes area—a new pedagogical guide, developed by Momento Ciudadano and the Santiago Center, was presented. Titled “Advising Student Councils: A Pedagogical Challenge,” the booklet is designed for advisors of student councils in elementary and high schools, offering practical guidelines and pedagogical tools to support students in their leadership development. The guide, which will soon be available on both the Momento Ciudadano and Columbia Global Center Santiago websites, was enthusiastically received by the attending advisors, who appreciated having a dedicated resource to address the challenges of advising student organizations.
Javier Pascual, Director of Education at Momento Ciudadano, commented: “These kinds of initiatives are essential for students to understand their roles within their educational communities and contribute to building a more democratic and participative school culture.”
Both organizations plan to continue presenting the guide in other municipalities across Chile, further supporting civic education in schools throughout the country.
