Cultural Educational Community
An educational, social and cultural community born in 2021 in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Sumak Kawsay Cultural Educational Community is a non-profit association born in 2021 in Calca, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
We were born with the intention of building a proposal that goes beyond school: an educational, social and cultural space deeply connected to the community and to the territory we inhabit.
We believe that educating also means learning to live together, recognising our differences, valuing local and ancestral knowledge, and taking on the responsibility of collectively building a fairer, more harmonious and more sustainable environment.
From this outlook come the three projects that sustain Sumak Kawsay: the Educational Project, the Social Project and the Architectural Project.
Our name, Sumak Kawsay, comes from Quechua and can be translated as Buen Vivir, Good Living. For us this idea expresses a way of understanding development through balance: with oneself, with others, with the community and with nature.
Our Mission
A learning community that accompanies students, families and teachers on their learning journey so they may become fulfilled people committed to the search for a more harmonious society in an ecologically sustainable world, offering equal opportunities to students without socio-economic or cultural distinction.
Our Vision
We want to become a learning community that engages with today’s world in order to transform it into a better place to live, acting responsibly towards the future and valuing local and ancestral knowledge.
Sumak Kawsay is built on three projects that speak to one another and share a single purpose: to create spaces for learning, community and development in harmony with our surroundings.
A pedagogical proposal that accompanies children and adolescents, respecting their rhythms, interests and different ways of learning, and integrating academic learning, art, movement, autonomy and community life.
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A line of community action that widens opportunities through education, art, sport and human accompaniment, strengthening bonds with children, families and communities of the Sacred Valley.
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A proposal of educational spaces conceived through harmony, nature and geometry, so that architecture too becomes part of the experience of learning and living together.
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Mark Slade
The Sacred Valley's best school for children aged 3 upwards. All three of my children attend the school, and as parents we couldn't be happier. But, more importantly, our kids also couldn't be happier. Sumak Kawsay manages to meet my academic expectations while my kids believe that they are simply having fun! Classrooms have max 15 students, every child knows every teacher, and the list of extracurricular and elective activities is endless. What sets the school apart is not only the quality and care of the teaching staff, but also the ample outdoor space and amazing setting within the mountains. Anyway, don't take my word for it. If you've got school age kids, make an appointment to go see the school yourself.
Gina Gina
My son has been attending since he was 3 years old. He is now 8 years old. He has grown and learnt so much. The teachers, administrators and the staff in general is amazing. We are so lucky to have a school like Sumak Kawsay in the area
Juan Verastegui
A school born from a community of families with immense hearts. They work with the local community and school families for the educational integration of our children. Lucía, Beto, and their entire excellent professional team make this possible! A good life!
Melissa Placlet
Our children have been at this school for 3 years now, and it's the best! What I love most is that they have a great balance between structure and freedom in their teaching ✔️ Happy to be part of this community!
Axel Nordt
The best school in the Sacred Valley, nothing more to say ✌🏻
Write to us if you want to learn about our educational proposal, visit the school, receive information about admissions, talk about the Social Project, or explore possible partnerships and ways of collaborating.
