Could Los Angeles benefit from an educational model developed in Colombia? In an article published in La Opinión, 2011 Kravis Prize recipient Vicky Colbert contends that Escuela Nueva’s successful model of child-centered, participatory learning could be adapted to fit Hispanic populations in other countries, including the United States.

While cities like Los Angeles are beset by gang violence, the article pointed out that children in Latin America are confronted with similar issues, such as the dangerous influence of drug trafficking. Escuela Nueva’s educational model, which has thrived in developing nations, might prove successful in developed nations as well. As Colbert explained, “Plant your goals in a new envirnoment, and perhaps it can grow in the future.”