The Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (Minedec) and Arentto have announced the winners of the First National Contest for Good DECE Practices. The event took place as part of the tenth edition of the FuturA+ 2025 Festival, described as Ecuador’s largest free vocational and professional guidance meeting.
The contest recognizes the work of Student Counseling Departments (DECE) across the country. According to Minedec, these departments play a key role in supporting students by promoting harmonious coexistence, emotional well-being, and socio-educational inclusion.
Between November 2024 and November 2025, Minedec expanded its efforts by hiring 2,460 new DECE professionals with an investment of USD 12.5 million. This brings the total number of DECE professionals nationwide to 5,451.
The award ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, November 20 at 3:00 p.m., at the Metropolitan Convention Center in Quito. It will be attended by ministry officials, DECE professionals, and partner organizations. Six projects will be recognized for their best practices focused on emotional well-being, inclusion, educational innovation, and building protective communities.
In parallel with the awards event, the FuturA+ 2025 Festival will offer several activities:
– On Thursday, November 20 and Friday, November 21: Free academic sessions for educational institutions from all sectors will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., requiring prior registration.
– On Saturday, November 22: The festival opens to the general public from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., featuring interactive spaces for exploring professional and academic development options.
The festival is organized around four themes aimed at fostering vocational exploration and skill development:
– “Asesórate”: personalized vocational guidance,
– “Actívate”: workshops to strengthen professional and entrepreneurial skills,
– “Asciende”: national and international academic offerings with sessions for DECE professionals,
– “Acelera”: a STEM area dedicated to technological innovation and applied science.
Minedec stated that this joint initiative with Arentto “reaffirms our commitment to continue promoting initiatives that strengthen the comprehensive development of Ecuadorian youth.” The ministry added that cooperation among institutions, educational communities, and strategic partners “makes it possible to build a more prepared country with greater opportunities for everyone.”
