Mission and Goals

Academic training

The academic programs of Gimnasio La Montaña promote the development of the necessary skills to enable students to responsibly and correctly face ethical, social, cultural, scientific, political, and economic demands. 

In order to achieve our goals, we work from a pedagogical perspective.  Working from this perspective allows the student to sensitively and critically evaluate the cultural, heritage, and scientific-technological heritage aspects of humanity, and further encourages our students to attain knowledge construction in a creative and challenging manner.

Our team assumes this task with a driven and motivated approach and they in-turn, project our curriculum to students in a manner that is in line/step with the competencies, abilities, and attitudes of students of the 21st century. Some of the noteworthy special interest areas within our educational projects include:

• Communication skills in the student’s native language and in addition to some foreign languages.
• Scientific and mathematical thought.
• Fundamental principles, concepts, and methods of the various knowledge disciplines.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Argumentative writing skills, data management, and autonomy in learning.
• Work ethic, academic rigor, and taking responsibility in the overall-learning process.
• Efficient and methodical planning and metacognition that enables students to understand their own thought processes.
• Relationship with knowledge: moral responsibility, interest, open-mindedness, flexibility, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
• Ability to use, appropriate, and create information and communication technologies (ICT).
• Ability to work in a team.
• Aesthetic training.
• Training in scientific concepts and ethical principles for the understanding, use, and responsible management of the local environment.

Civic education with an emphasis on cultural identity and global thinking

• Cultural identity
  The school considers that the sense of belonging to a nation and a culture contributes significantly to the construction of a person’s identity. This perspective is instilled at an early stage into our students’ learning process, and as a result, enables us to work with a strong commitment to Colombia that is based on knowledge and respect for its institutions and their respective cultural values, from a critical perspective.  This approach ultimately allows students to more effectively and constructively contribute towards building societies that are more inclusive, tolerant, just, and equitable. Civility as a binding principle that harmonizes the relationships between members of a community is also one of our ideologies.
  
  The emphasis on cultural identity within the civic environment is achieved through the alignment and development of civic skills proposed by the Ministry of National Education, especially those that are related to training in democratic values and promoting identity in the midst of a pluralistic and diverse environment/society.
  

• Global Thinking
  At Gimnasio La Montaña (GLM), we understand that geographical and cultural barriers are becoming weaker, and further, that the connections between cultures and people from varying backgrounds, with different worldviews are becoming stronger. As a result, civic education at GLM combines two perspectives, a commitment to Colombia as well as a global perspective.
  
  Contemporary education must respond to the needs of an increasingly connected and globalized world. For this reason, we seek that our students develop a clear understanding of global competencies.   On completion of the Partnership for Global Learning program, students will have developed capabilities and skills to understand and act on issues of global relevance. Our pedagogical project especially highlights the following aspects related to global thinking:
  
  

• The rigorous investigation of global problems beyond the immediate context.
• The recognition of different perspectives coming from other cultures that allow students to be able to understand them and combine them in both a reflective and respectful way.
• The effective communication of ideas with diverse audiences seeking to create bridges between geographical, linguistic, ideological, and cultural barriers.
• Reflexive participation, understanding themselves as actors capable of changing the course of history in solving problems that can improve the conditions of humanity.
  

Catholic Education

Gimnasio La Montaña (GLM) seeks to offer an education with a sense of transcendence, providing opportunities to cultivate spirituality. In this sense, the school, faithful to its Christian values, follows the guidelines of the teaching profession of the Catholic Church. We believe that in this regard, the task is a fundamental part of our project, and complements the teachings of parents, the first educators to students of the Catholic faith. Progress towards the attainment of this goal involves education in Christian doctrine and morality, as well as the introduction and connection to the culture and tradition of the Catholic community.

From an ecumenical perspective, we combine the above principle with a deep respect for religious diversity, with the promotion of an open and permanent line of debate on issues on matters of faith/belief and spirituality.

We also aim to be an appropriate education option for families with different beliefs or non-believing families that recognize the value of an education that focuses on religious confession and comes from an ethical project standpoint.

Emotional Development

Gimnasio La Montaña (GLM) is firmly convinced that each of its students are unique individuals with their own needs and future potential, who are immersed within a society which imposes demands and duties on them. It is for this reason that we have designed a space full of opportunities for students to achieve harmonious and solid socio-emotional development. Some of the aspects and traits that we focus on developing in our students in order for students to achieve this purpose are as follows:

• Emotional intelligence
• Social skills
• Moral development
• Habits

Social Commitment

Being aware of the immense needs of our country and of the inequitable conditions that have not yet been overcome, our school will develop a training model that aligns with the particular vocation area needs and capabilities of each of its students. To this end, it seeks to actively link the Gimnasio La Montaña community with the social reality of marginalized groups and communities, seeking to awaken the sensitivity of students and communities to their needs and to for students to develop a strong sense of social responsibility and connection.

In this regard, we highlight:

• Sensitivity to social problems and issues involving justice.
• Sensitivity to minority issues.
• Awareness of the ethical use of knowledge in the course of servicing and interacting within society.
• Formation of an ethical citizen with a determined local and global commitment.
• Ethical conception and understanding of human beings’ actions within their natural environment.
• To develop the value of compassion, that involves individuals facing the pain and needs of other individuals.