INCE Colombia: Growing Together, One Teacher at a Time

In May, the INCE Colombia team met at Liceo Manantial de Vida Eterna — one of the schools where Creciendo Juntos runs. Around the table: the INCE coordinator, the principal of Liceo Manantial de Vida Eterna, two colleagues of Woord en Daad (including the CPO), and several new INCE colleagues who are recently hired to maintain regular contact with participating schools across Bogotá, Montería, and La Guajira.

INCE Colombia: Growing Together, One Teacher at a Time

Uncertain months
We discussed the situation in Colombia and the strategic plans for INCE. The past months in Colombia have been uncertain, with decisive elections creating an unsettled environment for schools and organizations in the INCE network. Now that the elections are behind, the team can be more strategic: positioning the programme with the new government and navigating the new political dynamics.

Expanding to more schools
With that context in mind, the team is working on two strategic lines for the second half of 2026: strengthening the content and evidence base – including alignment with national legislation and university certification – and expanding to more schools. Around 20–25 new schools joined in the first semester, and 22 schools are now in phase 2.

Testimony
The visit was also a chance to hear directly from teachers. Teacher Dori López shared her testimony with the team visiting Liceo Manantial de Vida Eterna:

“I’ve been a teacher for 33 years, and no program has ever had as much of an impact on my life as the Creciendo Juntos program. It’s a program that enhances the quality of education; it’s a program that contributes to our personal growth; and it’s a program that encourages us to question ourselves.

We had never before asked ourselves whether we were inclusive; we now have the necessary tools as teachers to understand that students’ educational needs are paramount in every class and every lesson we teach.”

– Dori López, teacher, Liceo Manantial de Vida Eterna

This is what Creciendo Juntos aims for: teachers who grow in confidence and skill, who ask harder questions about their own practice, and who bring that into the classroom every day. Dori’s words are a great encouragement for the INCE team to keep working on this growth.