October 26, 2026

The Andean Road Countries for Science and Technology (ARCST) , in collaboration with the Journal of Latin American Sciences and Culture (JLASC) , the Unidad Central del Valle del Cauca (UCEVA) , Univalle Online, the Science Culture Construction Research Institute (SCCRI) , and the International Green Science Center for Latin America and the Caribbean (IGSCLAC) , has implemented a Green Media and Information Literacy (Green MIL) educational activity at Unidad Educativa Sariri in La Paz, Bolivia.

Image 1: Biopochito AI, developed by ARCST, IGSCLAC, and JLASC — a non-judgmental, AI-powered educational companion designed to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and responsible information use among children and families.

This initiative follows the global launch of Biopochito AI and the Living Portal in China. Following that launch, the Unidad Educativa Sariri invited ARCST to bring this experience to their students, with the goal of inspiring young minds about biodiversity conservation in Lake Titicaca, one of the highest navigable lakes in the world, located at 3,600 meters above sea level.

Image 2: The Living Portal, an interactive knowledge environment developed by ARCST, connecting participants with scientific information, biodiversity resources, and cultural heritage during the Green MIL implementation.

The activity connects environmental awareness, scientific inquiry, and responsible information use. Through Biopochito AI, a curiosity-driven digital companion, and the Living Portal, an interactive knowledge environment, children and families explore the natural world through questions, evidence, and discovery.

A Unique Approach: AI Adapted to the Bolivian ContextThe AI hardware and software designed for this event were developed by ARCST, with the support of UCEVA, IGSCLAC, and the team at JLASC. The methodology is unique: the AI has incorporated skills that fit the learning and communication styles of children in La Paz, Bolivia. It incorporates emotional, cultural, and ancestral knowledge before reaching young minds at 3,600 meters above sea level.

Image 3: The Science Communication Team of JLASC, ARCST, and Univalle Online during the Green MIL implementation at Unidad Educativa Sariri in La Paz, Bolivia. The methodology, adapted to the Bolivian context at 3,600 meters above sea level, integrates ancestral knowledge, green science, and Science Culture Construction. Aligned with UNESCO MIL Week 2026 and #WeAllPlayAPart, the initiative demonstrates how AI for Good can connect local knowledge with global sustainability challenges.

Image 4: Colombian science communication experts from the Unidad Central del Valle del Cauca (UCEVA) and IGSCLAC participated in the implementation of the Green Media and Information Literacy (Green MIL) initiative.

The methodological implementation follows a systematic pedagogical approach focused on young learners, exclusively adapted to the Bolivian context. This is a fundamental application of AI for Good. By integrating biodiversity, AI technology, green science education, ancestral knowledge, culture, and Science Culture Construction (SCC), developed by members of ARCST and JLASC, the activity promotes children’s scientific spirit, curiosity, and creativity.

Workshop Structure: Curiosity to Action

Image 5. Students from Unidad Educativa Sariri engaging with Biopochito AI, exploring biodiversity and scientific inquiry through interactive dialogue during the Green MIL implementation.

The activity follows a structured 45-minute workshop divided into five parts at three stations:

Part 1 — Start with a Question: Biopochito AI opens with: “If you could ask one question about Lake Titicaca, what would it be?” Children and families formulate their own questions instead of following a predefined lesson.

Part 2 — AI Dialogue: Ask, Question, Verify: Participants interact with Biopochito AI through the Living Portal. The AI encourages dialogue, not just answers. Children learn an important MIL principle: “Do not simply ask whether information sounds convincing. Ask how we know it.”

Part 3 — Discovering the Living Lake: Participants explore physical objects, specimens, photographs, and cultural materials representing Lake Titicaca. The exhibition includes approximately 12 objects organized around three categories: endemic and key species (Titicaca Water Frog, Orestias fish), high-Andean biodiversity (Palomita Moteada, Vizcacha), and cultural heritage (Balsa de Totora, Cesta de Pesca Uro).

Part 4 — Knowledge in Dialogue: The activity introduces a central principle of Science Culture Construction: “Knowledge grows through dialogue.” Scientific knowledge, Indigenous knowledge, local ecological observation, and lived experience are invited to enter into respectful dialogue.

Part 5 — Student Co-Creation: #WeAllPlayAPart: Children and parents create a short message responding to: “What message would you send to someone in another country about protecting Lake Titicaca?” The final message combines evidence, empathy, creativity, and responsibility.

Media and Information Literacy: Ask → Examine → Verify → CommunicateThe activity translates MIL into a simple, practical process:

Step Question ASK What do I want to know? EXAMINE Where does this information come from? VERIFY What evidence supports it? What remains uncertain? COMMUNICATE How can I share this information responsibly?This is particularly important in an AI-enabled world. A scientifically literate child should not simply ask an AI for an answer. They should be able to ask: “How do you know?” and then: “What is the evidence?”, “Can I verify it?”, “Are there other perspectives?”

The Role of Biopochito AI and the Living PortalBiopochito AI is presented as a curiosity-centered conversational companion. Its approach emphasizes curiosity rather than passive knowledge transfer, dialogue rather than one-way instruction, questions rather than memorization, and cultural adaptation rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Most importantly, Biopochito does not replace teachers, parents, scientists, or community knowledge holders. It helps create another pathway through which children can enter into dialogue with knowledge.

The Living Portal expands this approach beyond a single AI conversation. It provides the ecosystem in which questions, information, resources, people, and knowledge can be connected. In the Lake Titicaca activity, it becomes a bridge between: Child ↔ AI ↔ Scientific Knowledge ↔ Biodiversity ↔ Culture ↔ Community ↔ Action.

Lake Titicaca as a Living ClassroomLake Titicaca is particularly appropriate for this approach because it is simultaneously an ecosystem, a biodiversity hotspot, a place of human history and culture, a source of livelihoods, a site of Indigenous knowledge, a subject of scientific research, and a living environment facing contemporary challenges. It allows participants to experience science not as an isolated school subject, but as something connected to life, culture, environment, society, and responsibility.

Bringing the Spirit of UNESCO MIL Week 2026 into PracticeAligned with the participatory spirit of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy community and the theme #WeAllPlayAPart, the activity emphasizes that responsible environmental communication is a shared endeavor.

Actor Contribution Children Ask questions, explore information, and communicate what they discover. Families Encourage curiosity and support responsible information use. Educators Create environments where questions are valued. Scientists Provide evidence, context, and scientific expertise. Indigenous and Local Communities Share knowledge, observations, practices, and cultural perspectives. AI Developers Build responsible, accessible, culturally adaptive technologies. Institutions Connect knowledge, people, resources, and opportunities.No single actor can build a culture of science alone. We all play a part.

From Curiosity to ActionThe activity follows a simple transformation:

Curiosity → Question → Exploration → Evidence → Understanding → Participation → Action → Culture of Science

The ultimate objective is not to produce children who know more facts about Lake Titicaca. It is to help produce children who feel confident saying: “I have a question.” and then: “I want to find out.” and finally: “I can do something with what I have learned.”

Three UNESCO MIL Alliance Members Advancing a Shared VisionThe initiative brings together institutions working across science communication, education, scientific publishing, and environmental learning. ARCST, JLASC, and IGSCLAC are members of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Alliance, connecting their work with a broader international community committed to strengthening media and information literacy.

By bringing these principles into an educational setting, the partners seek to turn media and information literacy into a practical capacity: the ability to ask meaningful questions, evaluate sources, recognize misleading information, understand evidence, and communicate responsibly.

The initiative also advances the broader paradigm of Science Culture Construction, which seeks to make science an accessible, meaningful, and participatory part of everyday life.

ConclusionThe activity at Unidad Educativa Sariri offers a practical example of how Green MIL can connect classroom learning with local realities and global sustainability challenges. It highlights the potential of collaboration among educational institutions, scientific organizations, and digital learning initiatives to create experiences that bring science closer to people.

Science is a fundamental human right—not a privilege reserved for a few. Advancing that right requires not only making scientific knowledge available, but also creating the conditions for people everywhere to understand it, question it, share it, and use it in ways that benefit society and the planet.

Through this collaboration, ARCST and its partners reaffirm their commitment to building bridges between science, education, media literacy, biodiversity, and public participation—connecting local knowledge with global challenges and transforming curiosity into a foundation for lifelong scientific engagement.

About the Participating Institutions Institution Description ARCST International scientific organization advancing Science Culture Construction, science communication, and sustainable development. Member of the UNESCO MIL Alliance and WOSL. JLASC International, peer-reviewed, Gold Open Access journal published by UNIVALLE, Bolivia. Member of the UNESCO MIL Alliance. UCEVA Public higher education institution in Tuluá, Colombia; academic partner in the development of Biopochito. Univalle Online UNIVALLE’s digital education platform in Bolivia. SCCRI Advances research and international collaboration around Science Culture Construction. IGSCLAC Promotes green science, environmental education, and sustainable development. Member of the UNESCO MIL Alliance.Media Contact:
Shantel Guillaume
Editorial Assistant, Journal of Latin American Sciences and Culture (JLASC)
Email: editorial@journalasc.org

References

Andean Road Countries for Science and Technology. (2026, August 10). The Living Portal: A first-of-its-kind networked AI ecosystem for science education, curriculum mapping, and global knowledge sharing. Journal of Latin American Sciences and Culture. https://journalasc.org/2026/08/10/livingportal/

Andean Road Countries for Science and Technology. (2026, September 11). From curiosity to action: Biopochito AI, the Living Portal, Science Culture Construction, and Media & Information Literacy for Lake Titicaca. Journal of Latin American Sciences and Culture. https://journalasc.org/2026/09/11/livingportalunescomil/

Andean Road Countries for Science and Technology. (2026, September 12). From curiosity to action: Biopochito AI, the Living Portal, Science Culture Construction, and Media & Information Literacy for Lake Titicaca [Workshop page]. Journal of Latin American Sciences and Culture. https://journalasc.org/workshop_living_portal/

Science Culture Construction Research Institute. (2026, September 17). The study of Lake Titicaca: A global imperative for biodiversity conservation and green development. Journal of Latin American Sciences and Culture. https://journalasc.org/2026/09/17/titicaca/

UNESCO. (n.d.-a). Green school quality standard: Greening every learning environment. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/green-school-quality-standard-greening-every-learning-environment

UNESCO. (n.d.-b). Media and information literacy: A prerequisite for stimulating climate change engagement. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/media-and-information-literacy-prerequisite-stimulating-climate-change-engagement

UNESCO. (n.d.-c). MIL curriculum. UNESCO MIL4Teachers. https://www.unesco.org/mil4teachers/en/curriculum