La Serena, 11th of August 2025. At the beginning of August, the Pedro Pablo Muñoz School in the municipality of La Higuera hosted a ceremony to mark the launch of the textbook Dando valor al Archipiélago de Humboldt (1). The publication was created by teachers for teachers with the aim of teaching pupils about the natural and cultural wealth of this globally unique region.
The event was attended by pupils, parents, teachers from the school and local and regional representatives from public authorities. The pupils performed pieces of music, adding a special touch to the day.
The educational content was developed in collaboration with educators from the region and aims to promote solidarity and awareness of the need to protect the Humboldt Archipelago. Due to its biodiversity and endemic species, the archipelago is considered one of the most valuable marine ecosystems on Earth.
The mayor of La Higuera, Uberlinda Aquea Barraza, highlighted the importance of this work and emphasised that ‘it is a great collaborative effort involving at least seventeen teachers from different schools in the community. The book has a special significance, which means that our girls and boys can enjoy this wonderful book, this teaching material.’
Education Minister Nicolás Pérez expressed his satisfaction with the work carried out, which involved teachers from the community and various organisations, adding: ‘This is in line with the Ministry's objectives for public education, which is regionally focused and takes into account educational goals such as identity and homeland in the classroom.’
Ivana Ruiz Jeldes, co-author and teacher at the Pedro Pablo Muñoz School in La Higuera, was very moved by the result: "I have very deep feelings because I grew up in this community, went to the rural school in Punta de Choros from kindergarten to sixth grade, and then had to move away for various reasons to continue my education. Then I came back to teach at my little school and make my dream come true. With this book, I am fulfilling a wonderful dream, namely to pass on all my knowledge and experience from all these years to the children of my community."
The book project was financed by Sphenisco and Krefeld Zoo, Germany. Valeria Canto from Sphenisco Chile, an expert in ecological spatial planning, explained: "The educational material comes from the schools and their teachers. It was developed jointly and has a regional focus. It emphasises the importance of the Humboldt Archipelago and the protection of its species. The main objective of the teaching material is to enable children in the community of La Higuera to learn about the Humboldt Archipelago in their schools." Valeria Canto also expressed her satisfaction with the collaboration between the author Hildaura Zulantay, the co-authors from five schools, the educational community in general and experts from the region.
The presentation of the texts ‘Dando valor al Archipiélago de Humboldt’ (1) is a milestone in environmental education in the Coquimbo region, as these texts provide an educational tool that promotes appreciation of one of the most important marine ecosystems in Chile and the world.
The distribution of the textbook at the Pedro Pablo Muñoz School marks the beginning of a whole series of deliveries and will continue in all schools in La Higuera.
The book is available for public download and educational use on the Fundación Sphenisco Chile website at the following link:
https://www.sphenisco.cl/general-8
Fundación Sphenisco Chile
Notes
For better readability, the generic masculine form is used in this article. Unless otherwise indicated, the terms used to refer to persons in this article apply to all genders.
(1) Appreciation of the Humboldt Archipelago
translated by Claudia Fawer
