The project, which received the first prize this week in Madrid, bridges the gap between traditional Andean craft and modern civic necessity. It uses a methodology that integrates science and art, allowing students to analyze the environmental health of their territory through the tactile medium of clay. For those with hearing disabilities, the work provides a space where the heavy silence of the landscape is replaced by a different kind of expression. The school has woven Bolivian Sign Language (LSB) into the curriculum, ensuring that the conversation about the earth belongs to every child.
This pedagogical approach culminated in a collective mural. It is a physical map of a struggle, documenting the presence of heavy metals—often the byproduct of mining runoff and untreated waste—that leach into the Pilcomayo River basin and Lake Poopó. By molding these concerns into ceramic forms, the students have made the invisible visible, creating a permanent record of their relationship with the land.
The jury of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI) selected the project for its social impact and its ability to be adapted by other schools. While the award includes a grant to sustain the program, the true value lies in the restoration of a bond. In a region where water is often compromised, these students have found a way to reclaim their environment, one handful of earth at a time.