At the Chacamarca Historic Sanctuary in Junín, Peru, the Ministry of the Environment, through the National Service of Protected Natural Areas (Sernanp), and the local education office (UGEL Junín) are running “Roots of Freedom: a teaching journey to Chacamarca”, which links secondary education to students’ own surroundings.
The programme involves 66 secondary teachers and brings together eight curriculum areas. More than 82% of the targeted secondary schools now use teaching units adapted to the territory: the sanctuary’s biodiversity supports scientific inquiry, archaeological remains support history, and the landscape supports maths, art and physical education.
The experience also includes local knowledge and traditions, such as the Andean New Year. In the teachers’ evaluation, 92.42% said field activities fostered students’ critical thinking and inquiry.
