When Migration Met Compassion: Juntos Aprendemos in Action
When Venezuela’s economic collapse sent millions fleeing across borders, Colombia faced an unprecedented education crisis: absorbing more than 600,000 refugee students, many traumatized and years behind academically.
“When I first arrived at 15, I felt invisible and rejected,” said Enoc Díaz Pérez, a Venezuelan refugee who now studies International Trade on scholarship. His experience mirrored countless others among the Venezuelan children who now represent 6.2% of Colombia’s student population.
Crisis in Numbers
- Venezuela’s population in Colombia grew by 9.9% since 2021
- Colombian schools integrated nearly 610,000 Venezuelan students
- Equivalent to Brazilian schools suddenly accommodating 2.9 million Venezuelan refugee children, the US, 3.1 million, Honduras, 126,000.
Local Solutions to an Unprecedented Challenge
In response, Partners’ “Juntos Aprendemos” (Together We Learn), a $30 million USAID-supported initiative launched in 2021, trained more than 5,400 Colombian teachers across nine cities before concluding unexpectedly in February 2025.
“Our school faces extremely difficult situations,” said Aida Salcedo, a teacher in Cali who participated in the program’s Restorative Circles training. “The coping strategies Partners taught us are invaluable, especially for opening conversations with students about their feelings.”
Innovation in Action
The program sparked educational advances throughout Colombia’s most challenged communities:
- Clubes Explora created safe spaces for creative learning in violence-affected neighborhoods
- Juega Todos los Días (Play Every Day) transformed early childhood education through guided play
- Restorative Circles equipped teachers with tools to address trauma and social challenges
Carlos Mario Giraldo, principal of Joaquin Vallejo Arbelaez School, noted: “Teaching through playful activities has awakened creativity in students from disadvantaged areas who need this type of education most.”
Lasting Impact Beyond USAID
Although Juntos Aprendemos was ended earlier than planned, its impact continues through Colombia’s institutions. Gustavo Payan, Partners’ Chief of Party for Juntos Aprendemos shared that “Juntos made substantial progress in expanding access to quality education for children and adolescents in areas heavily impacted by Venezuelan migration. The project removed barriers to school access and retention, created new socio-economic opportunities for migrant and host families to establish more stable lives in Colombia.”
By its conclusion, Juntos had reached more than 155,000 students, engaged over 10,700 parents, and strengthened 335 schools with approaches integrating academic learning with critical emotional support.
“It’s incredible to watch them grow and find ways to relate to the world,” said tutor Yelitza Osorio, reflecting on the program’s lasting influence on both Colombian and Venezuelan students.
As Colombia’s educational system continues adapting to migration pressures, the collaborative model pioneered by Partners remains active in classrooms long after the official program was concluded.