Founded in 2013 on the cultural and educational legacy of Pope Francis.
2001, Argentina. was lived the biggest political, social and economic crisis of the last century, half the country was below the poverty line, there was violence and death in the streets and the collective feeling was summed up in the popular cry: "everyone leaves!".
Pope Francis, at that time Archbishop of the city of Buenos Aires, decided to gather two trusted educators and ask them to go in search of those who absorb, retain and then express any social reality the most: adolescents.
Look for them beyond the limits of the diocese of Buenos Aires, beyond the Catholic schools, to bring together the greatest diversity of realities and beliefs, to get in touch with the true common feeling.
There the first “Escuela de Vecinos” was born, and the first “Sister Schools”, which would later be launched to the world as “Scholas Ciudadanía”. Neither protest those who we believe have to change, nor lament and resign because nothing can be done: surrender, risk, meet and create another way of being together, of living and building our society.
Since the beginning of his pontificate, the Pope has called on Scholas to respond to the political crisis that transcends Argentina and involves the entire culture. From that moment on, Scholas travels the world listening to young people and starting with them a path of real transformation to concrete problems of their realities.
… Respond to the call to create the Culture of Encounter, bringing together young people in an education that generates meaning…
Through our international action, we create a global network of schools who work together to give young people a voice and to become active agents of change in their communities.
We offer a number of programs and initiatives, including the creation of classrooms without walls, teacher training, intercultural exchanges and online educational resources. Through them, we generate an inclusive, intercultural education oriented towards the construction of peace.
