Fundación Escuela Nueva

What Fundación Escuela Nueva does

Fundación Escuela Nueva Volvamos a la Gente (FEN) is a Bogotá-based non-profit foundation established in 1987 that developed and disseminates the Escuela Nueva Activa (ENA) pedagogical model, an active-learning methodology originally designed for rural primary schools in Colombia. The foundation serves public education systems, teachers, school directors, and ministries of education, with reported reach of over 5 million children across 16+ countries spanning Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Its core product is the ENA methodology itself, delivered through a blended model that includes printed learning guides, micro-center facilitator networks, in-person teacher training, and the Renueva virtual campus, which functions as the digital training backbone. Adjacent programmatic offerings include the Diploma in ENA Model Strategies (a structured certification program for educators and government partners), Círculos para ENprender (targeting at-risk youth and socio-emotional learning), and Educapaz (peace and citizenship education). Supporting infrastructure includes a Koha-based library management system and recurring international congresses.

The foundation's business model is donation- and grant-funded, drawing on corporate philanthropy (Cotopaxi, GeoPark, Totto), foundation grants, public-sector contracts with ministries of education, and earned income from training programs and certifications. There are no commercial product sales; monetization operates through grant cycles, multi-year government technical-assistance agreements, and corporate social-investment partnerships tied to extractive-industry footprint mitigation.

Name

Fundación Escuela Nueva

Legal name

Fundación Escuela Nueva Volvamos a la Gente

Website

https://escuelanueva.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fundación Escuela Nueva is a Bogotá-based non-profit that develops and disseminates the Escuela Nueva Activa active-learning model for rural public schools, serving ministries of education, teachers, and school directors across 16+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Systems Strengthening (Policy, Planning, EMIS, Governance) (BPADAKAK)

Keywords

• Education methodology licensing
• Teacher training programs
• Active learning pedagogy
• Rural school solutions
• Educational consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a non-profit foundation under Colombia's Special Tax Regime (Régimen Tributario Especial), FEN relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund operations and educational programs.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with socially responsible companies (like Cotopaxi, GeoPark, Totto) who provide funding as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. Cotopaxi allocates 10% of revenues to beneficiaries.
3. Government Contracts: Collaborations with government education ministries and departments for implementation of the ENA model in public schools, often funded through education development programs.
4. Training Programs: Virtual campus (Renueva) and diploma programs for teacher training in ENA methodologies, generating revenue for professional development services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fundación Escuela Nueva designs, promotes, and implements the Escuela Nueva Activa® (ENA) pedagogical model, an active, participatory, learner-centered education methodology originally created for multigrade rural primary schools and now extended to urban schools and other countries. The foundation also delivers complementary teacher training, certification, after-school, and peace-education programs, supported by a virtual training campus and a specialized documentation center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Diplomado en estrategias del modelo ENA: Diploma program on strategies of the Escuela Nueva Activa model offered to teachers and school administrators.
• Campus Virtual Renueva
• Círculos para ENprender®
• Centro de Documentación Rodrigo Escobar Navia (CDREN)
• Congresos de Escuelas Nuevas
• Educapaz

Products and services

• Escuela Nueva Activa® (ENA) Model A learner-centered, active, and collaborative pedagogical model originally designed for multigrade rural schools and now extended to urban schools. Sold/licensed to ministries of education, schools, NGOs, and education systems worldwide seeking to improve primary-school quality and equity.
• Renueva Virtual Campus An online virtual campus that delivers training, professional development, and certification on the ENA methodology to teachers, school leaders, and education practitioners.
• Diplomado en Estrategias del Modelo ENA A graduate diploma program certifying teachers, school administrators, and education professionals in the implementation and scaling of the Escuela Nueva Activa® pedagogical model.
• Círculos para ENprender® An after-school program of participatory circles for children and youth that builds life skills, leadership, and community engagement using the active-learning methodology.
• Educapaz A peace and citizenship education program that uses ENA active-learning strategies to build democratic coexistence, conflict-resolution skills, and civic participation among children and youth.
• Centro de Documentación Rodrigo Escobar Navia A specialized documentation center preserving historical, pedagogical, and research materials on the Escuela Nueva movement, available as a knowledge resource for researchers, educators, and partner institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rural primary education in Colombia ranked 2nd in Latin America (after Cuba) in UNESCO 1997 evaluation of 13 countries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GeoParkcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024Strategic partnership between FEN and GeoPark to strengthen rural education in Tauramena, Colombia. The collaboration transformed education for more than 520 children through implementation of the Escuela Nueva Activa model. GeoPark provides funding and support as part of its corporate social responsibility program focused on education in operating regions.
• TottocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Totto, a Colombian company, partnered with FEN and Fundación Semilla y Fruto to implement the Círculos para ENprender program in Soacha, Cundinamarca. The program serves over 80 children in high-risk situations through after-school support combining academic assistance and socio-emotional development.
• Fundación Semilla y FrutocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaboration with Fundación Semilla y Fruto for the implementation of Círculos para ENprender program serving vulnerable children in Soacha. The partnership combines FEN's pedagogical expertise with Semilla y Fruto's community focus.
• Ministry of Education of ZambiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2015Government partnership for piloting Escuela Nueva implementation in Zambia. An 8-member delegation including CAMFED representatives and Zambian Ministry of Education officials visited Colombia in 2015 for training on the ENA model.
• CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership with CAMFED, a Cambridge-based NGO focused on girls' education in Sub-Saharan Africa, for implementation of Escuela Nueva in Zambia. The project aims to introduce the ENA pedagogical model in approximately 200 schools across three districts to improve education quality.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global network supporting leading social entrepreneurs (including many in education); operates Ashoka Changemaker Schools and innovation programs. Broader incumbent comparable to FEN in elevating education innovators, surfacing the Escuela Nueva model internationally, and convening practitioners and policymakers.
• UNICEF Education: UN agency delivering inclusive and equitable quality education across 190+ countries, with substantial programs in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Broader incumbent comparable to FEN as a multilateral counterpart on rural primary education, systems strengthening, and crisis-affected schooling — though operating at vastly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Pratham: India's largest education NGO operating multiple programs (Read India, ASER) to improve foundational literacy and numeracy in primary schools and learning centers. Comparable to FEN in developing low-cost, evidence-backed pedagogical innovations for underserved primary classrooms and using partnerships to scale.
• BRAC: One of the world's largest development organizations, running non-formal primary schools and accelerated learning programs across Bangladesh and Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable to FEN in pioneering low-cost, scalable primary-education models for the rural poor with strong government and donor partnerships.
• Room to Read: Global non-profit building literacy and gender-equity outcomes for primary-school children in low-income countries; operates via country offices, government partnerships and CSR funding. Directly comparable to FEN in mission, rural-primary focus, partnership-based GTM, and impact-measurement rigor.
• Worldreader: Global non-profit that delivers digital reading content and e-libraries to children in low-income communities, including rural schools across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Comparable to FEN in literacy-for-development focus, school-level deployment, and reliance on CSR/ministry partnerships.
• Teach For All: Global network of independent partner organizations (Teach For America, Teach For India, etc.) recruiting leaders to teach in underserved schools and influence education systems. Comparable to FEN in addressing educational inequity through innovative human-capital and system-change models.
• Educate Girls: India-based non-profit focused on enrolling and retaining out-of-school girls and improving learning outcomes in rural government schools. Comparable to FEN in mission (underserved rural primary education), government partnership model, and outcome-measurement discipline.
• CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education): International non-profit dedicated to girls' education and women's leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa; an existing FEN partner in the Zambia implementation. Directly comparable in operating model of partnering with African education ministries, training local educators, and tracking longitudinal outcomes for marginalized students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/escuela_nueva
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdrLNd_zJ8aHNAc8RyRRQ0g
• Facebookfacebook.com/fundacionescuelanueva
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundacion-escuela-nueva

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fundación Escuela Nueva