The Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture (MINEDEC) of Ecuador, in partnership with Plan International Ecuador, has distributed backpacks designed to support socioemotional and psychosocial care in prioritized educational institutions and districts. The initiative is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of school brigades tasked with supporting students during emergencies.
Since 2024, Ecuador’s national education system has established “Brigades for Socioemotional and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Situations.” These teams are made up of school authorities, professionals from the Department of Student Counseling (DECE), technical staff, and teachers. Their work is guided by a cooperation agreement between MINEDEC and Plan International Ecuador.
The capacity-building process for these brigades began with the implementation of the “Safe Horizons” project in selected schools. The goal is to improve safe and inclusive access to education for children and adolescents living in disaster-prone areas while ensuring that learning continues during emergencies.
A symbolic ceremony was held at MINEDEC’s main building to hand over the “Backpack for Socioemotional and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Situations” to the National Brigade. Backpacks were also distributed through nine district directorates and the Subsecretariat of Education for Quito’s Metropolitan District.
Present at the event were Catalina Vaca, Country Representative for Plan International Ecuador, and Emilio Félix, Undersecretary for Educational Innovation and Integral Development at MINEDEC. They led the handover to technical representatives specializing in inclusive education as well as DECE professionals working within the brigades.
A total of 210 backpacks were delivered across nine educational zones, 140 district directorates, the Directorate for Citizenship, Rights and School Coexistence, as well as 60 prioritized schools participating in “Safe Horizons.” The resources aim to improve brigade operations by providing tools needed for emotional support, group guidance sessions, and psychological first aid during crises or emergencies.
During her remarks at the ceremony, Catalina Vaca stated: “Plan International develops innovative projects to improve the well-being of girls, boys and adolescents. During this project we have trained 400 people on guidelines and conducted drills so that every member of the educational community understands their role.”
Emilio Félix thanked district personnel present at the event. He emphasized: “Our mission is transversalize socioemotional and psychosocial support with help from international cooperation partners—and all organizations willing to join us—in order to guarantee our students’ overall well-being.”
MINEDEC reiterated its commitment to providing tools for emotional containment along with socioemotional and psychosocial support. The ministry aims to strengthen all members involved in education communities while promoting disaster risk reduction strategies, emergency education responses, and protection measures for children.
