The cultural association and partner of Divine Space, “Willka Yachay,” Quechua for sacred knowledge, is in the beginning stages of opening the first secondary school to serve the indigenous Q’eros Nation, which has fourteen villages including Qocha Moco. The “colegio étnico,” or ethnic high school, will be the first of its kind in the country and will provide an education that will enable young Q’eros to go on to university, which none have ever done before.

The high school’s alternative curriculum will emphasize the environment, scientific research, traditional culture and personal development. The first year will be experimental, starting with different instructional units each month, such as installing donated solar panels in various Q’eros communities, building greenhouses at different altitudes, or constructing small scale trout ponds.

The school will be open in March of 2013 in Qocha Moco in temporary classrooms. Community-led construction of the classrooms, research lab, cultural center and student dorm will begin in June. The association also plans to open a sister “colegio étnico” in the indigenous Amazonian community of Huacaria in 2014.

Willka Yachay is very proud to present the first group project from our Institución Educativa Étnica Comunitaria Andina de la Nación Qéros: