Getting involved in the communities of which it is a part is an interest always pursued by our Universidad Panamericana. That is why it decided to join the Life Capturing Schoolsa program of the municipality of Huixquilucan that seeks to ensure the water supply in schools in the area through rainwater harvesting.
"Supporting other educational institutions and the municipality, the local authorities in promoting sustainability is a priority and is a great satisfaction for the UP," says the UP.says Cecilia Canal Garrido, vice rector of the Panamericana.vice rector of the Panamericana.
Life-Capturing Schools is a is a working initiative based on a participatory model, designed to achieve reflection and action on the crisis caused by the lack of water. It is based on a rainwater harvesting method as a sustainable solution for water supply, guaranteeing that the schools that are part of the programme have water service throughout the year, and are no longer dependent on the water distribution service through the water network for up to 80% of their water supply.
For the implementation of this programme, which was recently inaugurated at the Adolfo López Mateos Primary School in Magdalena Chichicaspa, Ms. Canal explains that they worked hand in hand with the municipality to provide financial support.
"The university, always with the interest and concern to be an active agent and involved in the communities to which it belongs, gladly accepted to be part of and support this idea".The vice-chancellor points out that the municipality was helped to make the project a reality.
So far, nine schools in the municipality have taken part in the project, benefiting 5,000 pupils, teachers and employees.
Sustainable goals
The impact of Schools capturing lifenot only focuses on solving the problem of water supply, but also seeks to generate awareness and participation of school communities in the diagnosis, maintenance and responsibility of the systems.
In this sense, Ms. Canal points out that this was another reason that led our institution to join, as Panamericana also seeks to create sustainable awareness in its university community. sustainable awareness in its university community.
"One of the axes on which the university is working is sustainability; that is why we have taken different measures on our campuses and specifically in Ciudad Panamericana, which from its conception, was designed as a sustainable campus"., explains the vice-chancellor.
The students have been part of this spirit by promoting and coordinating forestation campaigns and initiatives. forestation campaigns and initiatives, between teachers, students, collaborators and alumni to encourage our university community to a green life.
Similarly, sustainable measures have been implemented on this campus, such as the installation of photovoltaic windows and solar panels to capture energy. installation of photovoltaic windows and solar panels to capture solar energy.. It seeks to have the highest environmental standards of its kind, such as LEED certification (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design).Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification, which consists of a set of standards for greater energy efficiency.
And as with the Life-Capturing Schools, good water management is a key element of the project.. Ciudad Panamericana has a 400-metre deep well that supplies the entire campus, as well as a treatment plant that allows the water to be reused for some services.
This means that our new campus has the requirements to be an agent of promotion, transformation and care for the environment through its operation, being an example of how academia and operation amalgamate in favour of sustainability.
