Government of change will quintuple the budget of Computadores para Educar program

By Mintic

This is a machine translation of the original press release issued in Spanish 

Complying with his policy of execution and digital transformation, ICT Minister Mauricio Lizcano announced from Santander the increase in the budget of the Computadores para Educar program that promotes educational innovation, through the access, use and appropriation of technology in the country's schools.

"The future is in the ICT sector, which is why my objective is to increase the budget and request 500 billion pesos a year so that boys and girls have their own computer and learn to program from their schools and homes. This government believes in young people and works for the people", pointed out Minister Lizcano.

The ICT leader arrived in Santander today to deliver 100 computers and an educational innovation laboratory to the Vicente Azuero school in Floridablanca, benefiting more than 1,900 students.

"Technological tools, robotics and artificial intelligence are the doors to the future and give us more tools to face a world where ICTs are the fundamental axis of study and the labor market," said Abramnys Hernández, a student at the school.

The laboratory includes a 3D printer, an engineering kit, an interactive screen, digital appropriation courses for the educational community through knowledge transfer, and delivery of a pack of educational resources.

During his first regional visit, Minister Mauricio Lizcano also launched the 'EnganchaTIC' strategy, a Mintic platform whose purpose is to generate connections between Colombian digital talent and the productive sector to boost the economy and work in the country through the technology. "Technology is not an end in itself, technology is the way to reduce poverty, inequality and unemployment," he said.

In addition, to promote the technological innovation ecosystem from the productive sector, the ICT leader met with more than 35 businessmen from the department to create collaborative spaces and learn first-hand about the strategies that businessmen have with the ICT component. At the end of the meeting, the minister announced that Santander will be the first innovation ecosystem of the 32 that will be developed in the country.