Transforming education for rural communities

Vicky Colbert

Vicky is the founder of Fundación Escuela Nueva in Colombia. She developed an innovative education model to improve learning in rural, multi-grade classrooms. Inspired by her mother and a strong belief in the power of basic education, she created a system centered on student participation, teacher training, and community involvement. The model uses printed guides to support both academic and social-emotional development. Grounded in evidence and shaped by years of evaluation, Escuela Nueva has influenced national policy and scaled through public-private partnerships. Despite challenges like teacher turnover and rural isolation, Vicky continues to drive inclusive, sustainable education reform.

Listen to Vicky

“Teachers have been the agents of change… Change took place at the bottom. It didn’t take place in the offices of the ministry.”

Vicky Colbert

Vicky Colbert

Vicky Colbert is the founder and director of Fundación Escuela Nueva and co-creator of the Escuela Nueva model. A sociologist from Javeriana University with graduate studies at Stanford, she has led education reform in Colombia as Vice Minister of Education and worked with UNICEF. Colbert has received major international awards, including the Yidan Prize (2017) and the WISE Prize (2013), for her innovative and lasting impact on education.