Ibagué, Tolima — A collaborative alliance between institutions in Colombia, the United States, and France has brought bilingual education to rural students in Tolima, opening new opportunities for their academic and professional future.
A Francophone Project for Ibagué
During the last semester of the year, the Global Health Beat Foundation (GHBF) team collaborated on the Spanish-French bilingualism program that benefited students at the Nueva Esperanza La Palma Technical Educational Institution (IETNEP – La Palma School). The program brought together La Palma School, the University of Tolima (UT), the Buenos Aires Educational Project (PEBA), the Alliance Française of Armenia (AFA), and the GHBF, with support from the French government and the Ibagué Department of Education.
Pilot Project Characteristics
The pilot project included 30 students from sixth to eleventh grade, selected through a process based on two main criteria:
- Interest in learning French
- Students’ academic performance
French classes were taught during the last semester by expert teachers who have taught at AFA. The sessions took place at the main campus Colegio La Palma in Buenos Aires, Tolima, between October and December 2025. The evaluation of this initiative demonstrated that the project was very successful for the students, the administration of Colegio La Palma, and the other stakeholders in the international collaborative program.
Voices of the Project Leaders
Jorge Beltrán, coordinator of Colegio La Palma, shared his reflections on the origins of this school and the great international academic alliance:
“I thank the president of the Global Health Beat Foundation, Elena Navas, PhD, MS, for her continued support and for all the assistance she has provided to Colegio La Palma over the years. I acknowledge the various conversations that the GHBF has had with Fabiano Numpaque (administrator of the University of Tolima) regarding providing University of Tolima support to Colegio La Palma. When this opportunity arose to collaborate with the Alliance Française of Armenia (AFA), Mr. Numpaque and Mr. César Duarte (Director of the AFA) saw us as the ideal school to carry out this project. Thank you again, and I remain ready to collaborate to continue moving forward in 2026.”
Luis Eduardo Reyes, director of PEBA, highlighted the transformative impact of this alliance:
“At the heart of this alliance between IETNEP, the private sector, higher education, and international partners, lies a clear and powerful message: opening up to the world transforms the future of our students. Thanks to these collaborations, the institution is already among the top rural public schools in the country in the Saber 11 standardized tests. At the same time, it provides young people with concrete tools to bridge the gaps between rural and urban, public and private education. Offering them the opportunity to learn French is just one example of how they can broaden their horizons and strengthen their confidence in a global world. In this way, Nueva Esperanza La Palma becomes a symbol of transformation and achievable dreams. With these alliances and this vision, the students’ future is more than promising.”
Elena Navas, PhD, MS, founder and executive director of the GHBF, added:
“This international alliance, which includes partners from Colombia, the United States, and France, is a very important step in bilingual education at Colegio La Palma (a rural school) and Colegio San Simón (an urban school) in the Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia area. The results of this pilot project will inform the educational strategy and methodology that will guide the implementation of this program during the 2026 school year. We are immensely proud to have the support of the French government, Colombian government agencies, and other academic partners in this important cause of human development for our Colombian children and youth.”
Looking Toward the Future
The positive results of this pilot program lay the groundwork for expanding bilingual education in the region, providing rural students with the tools to compete in a globalized world and close historical educational gaps.
Related article: To learn more about the launch of this alliance and the role of the University of Tolima in this project, read: University of Tolima leads alliance that promotes French language learning in Ibagué.
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