Children’s Dreams in Chiriquí Take Shape in the “My Present with Puerto Barú” Drawing Contest
The Puerto Barú New Routes Foundation and the Community Committee of the Township of Chiriquí celebrated the Grand Final of the “My Present with Puerto Barú” School Drawing Contest, an initiative that brought together students from the schools of Chiriquí, Chorcha Abajo, La Pita, and Veladero to express, through their drawings, how they see their community, their surroundings, and the opportunities they envision for the future.
The contest began in May and included the participation of nearly 550 students, from pre-kindergarten through ninth grade. As a result of the process carried out in the schools, 38 students were selected as finalists to participate in the Grand Final, where they received recognition for reaching this stage.
“When we talk about building a better future for a community, we have to start with something fundamental: its children. When we look at these drawings, we discover that there are not only colors here; there are ideas, dreams, and a way of understanding the place where they live and imagining the place where they want to live. This contest is much more than a competition; it is an opportunity to listen to them and remind them that their ideas matter. For us, supporting them means creating opportunities for that vision to continue growing,” said Carlos Somoza, Public and Community Affairs Manager at Puerto Barú.
La evaluación de los trabajos estuvo a cargo de un jurado integrado por Karel González, en representación del Comité Comunitario; el profesor Alberto Irak Licea Romero, por el Ministerio de Educación (MEDUCA); y Mirhanna Sandoya, por el Centro de Competitividad de la Región Occidental (CECOMRO). Los dibujos fueron valorados según criterios de creatividad, relación con el tema, presentación, comprensión del impacto comunitario y mensaje transmitido, a partir de los cuales se seleccionaron los 12 ganadores, tres por cada una de las cuatro categorías del certamen.
Como parte de la premiación, los 12 estudiantes ganadores tuvieron la oportunidad de explicar con sus propias palabras qué quisieron expresar a través de sus dibujos, compartiendo con los asistentes la historia y el significado detrás de sus trabajos.
La iniciativa contó con el acompañamiento de directores, docentes, familias, clubes cívicos y aliados, quienes hicieron posible la participación de las cuatro escuelas y el desarrollo del proceso hasta su etapa final.
Ganadores por categoría
The entries were evaluated by a jury composed of Karel González, representing the Community Committee; Professor Alberto Irak Licea Romero, representing the Ministry of Education (MEDUCA); and Mirhanna Sandoya, representing the Center for Competitiveness of the Western Region (CECOMRO). The drawings were evaluated based on creativity, relevance to the theme, presentation, understanding of community impact, and the message conveyed. Based on these criteria, 12 winners were selected, three in each of the contest’s four categories.
As part of the awards ceremony, the 12 winning students had the opportunity to explain in their own words what they wanted to express through their drawings, sharing with attendees the story and meaning behind their work.
The initiative was supported by school principals, teachers, families, civic clubs, and partners, who made possible the participation of all four schools and the development of the contest through its final stage.
Winners by Category
Category A · Pre-Kindergarten to Kindergarten
First Place: Sofía Vargas, La Pita School
Second Place: Cristelis Escribí, Veladero School
Third Place: Kristel González, La Pita School
Category B · 1st to 3rd Grade
First Place: Erick Pineda, Chiriquí School
Second Place: Elvis de Gracia, Chiriquí School
Third Place: Jahir Cubilla, Chiriquí School
Category C · 4th to 6th Grade
First Place: Maydelins González, Chiriquí School
Second Place: Maryori Miranda, La Pita School
Third Place: Janellys Samudio, Chiriquí School
Category D · 7th to 9th Grade
First Place: Ariel De Gracia, Chorcha Abajo School
Second Place: Felipe Abrego, Chorcha Abajo School
Third Place: Mayte Rodríguez, Chorcha Abajo School
With this Grand Final, “My Present with Puerto Barú” concluded a process that placed students’ creativity at the center of the conversation and provided an opportunity to discover, through their drawings, how they envision the future of their communities.