Presentation

This project, developed by the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences "Auxilium," in agreement with the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (Chile), aims to offer a specialized training experience for those who exercise school leadership roles in Catholic and Salesian educational institutions in different Latin American countries.

The proposal is part of the Church's educational mission and Salesian charism, and is developed from a gender perspective, aimed at recognizing and valuing the specific contribution of women and men in educational leadership.

The program promotes leadership styles consistent with a Christian anthropological vision, relational and focused on caring for people, strengthening pedagogical leadership skills and tools at the service of those who animate and manage Salesian educational communities.

Contemporary educational research shows that pedagogical and distributed leadership, focused on learning and the quality of teaching practice (learning-centered leadership), is a decisive factor in the transformation of schools and the sustained improvement of learning, in line with the principles of Catholic education and current educational challenges.

From this perspective, the proposal responds to the need for ongoing training expressed by administrators and teachers in Catholic and Salesian schools in the Americas, recognizing continuing education as a strategic axis for strengthening institutional identity, educational quality, and creative fidelity to the evangelizing mission.

Program objectives

Participants are expected to strengthen their leadership from a comprehensive perspective, being able to promote student-centered educational and pastoral processes, fostering healthy, participatory, and stimulating relational environments.

Training objectives per module

The program modules are aimed at:

  • Analyze school leadership from a pedagogical and gender perspective, with the aim of enhancing its specific contribution to the educational processes of Salesian schools in America.
  • Develop educational communication skills that promote dialogue with contemporary youth culture and strengthen relationships inside and outside of school.
  • To explore the characteristics of leadership from a theological-anthropological perspective, integrating reflection on the person, the educational vocation, and the Salesian mission.
  • Characterize the role of school leadership in teaching and learning processes, creating conditions that foster a culture of professional collaboration geared toward continuous improvement.
  • Internalize the category of care from a psychosocial perspective, promoting personal and collective well-being, increasing vital energy, and building positive work environments.

Expected learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the fundamentals of educational leadership in the Catholic and Salesian context.
  • Strengthen leadership through reciprocity between women and men.
  • Projecting the value of femininity and masculinity from an anthropological, biblical, and Salesian pedagogical perspective.
  • Promote educational relationships based on a culture of care.
  • Implement collaborative work strategies focused on learning.
  • Develop a proposal for institutional improvement applicable to your own educational reality.

Recipients

Aimed at religious and lay people who are part of leadership teams in Catholic and Salesian educational institutions—primary and secondary education—in Latin America, interested in strengthening their professional, charismatic, and pastoral skills. As well as encouraging and managing their educational communities from an updated vision of leadership, integrated in a coherent manner with Salesian pedagogy.

Certification and training credits

Those who participate in the first stage of the program, complying with:

  • Assistance required
  • Training activities
  • Verification instances
  • Final project

You will receive a Certificate of Participation, equivalent to 75 hours of professional development or advanced training.

This certificate enables students to continue their training program and subsequently apply for the International Diploma in Educational Leadership and Gender, once the mandatory stages have been completed.

Program structure

The program is organized into three progressive training stages:

  • First stage: synchronous online mode (75 hours).
  • Second stage: blended learning, with an intensive week in Chile (60 hours).
  • Third stage (optional): in-person format, with pilgrimage to the charismatic sources in Turin, Mornés, and Rome.

Each stage strengthens the pedagogical, charismatic, and professional dimensions of educational leadership in an integrated manner.

Academic organization of the modules

Each module is guided by a teacher for a period of one month and includes:

  • Three weeks of synchronous work, focused on conceptual deepening and formative dialogue.
  • A synchronous round table discussion at the end of the module, with the participation of various specialists, aimed at broadening reflection and promoting the exchange of experiences.

For each module, the teaching team defines:

  • the educational objectives, expressed in terms of competencies;
  • the contents;
  • teaching methods;
  • the teaching tools used in the training process.

Teaching method and workload

  • Synchronous online classes: 2 hours per week (6 hours per module).
  • Synchronous online roundtable: 2 hours (weekday).
  • Personal study and independent work: 7 hours per module (approx. 2 hours 10 minutes per week).
  • Total time per module: 15 hours
  • Total course time (first stage): 75 hours

Teaching strategies

The training process includes:

  • Synchronous online lessons
  • Spaces for personal growth
  • Synchronous round tables in each module
  • Online educational support
  • Regular feedback
  • Final project applied to the educational context

Methodology

The methodology combines theoretical and practical approaches through:

  • Video conferences given by professors from the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences "Auxilium" and the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso
  • Thematic worksheets, literary materials, and digital resources for personal and group study
  • Operational proposals aimed at application in various educational and teaching contexts
  • Questions to verify learning.
  • Round tables for analysis, dialogue, and in-depth discussion of the topics covered in each module

Recordings will only be available in cases of justified absence, according to the criteria established by the program.

Link: (to be defined)

2026 calendar and schedules by country

Training activity

Stage 1 · Online training

Fundamentals of Pedagogical and Gender Leadership

Module 1 · Leading in the Latin American context with a pedagogical approach

Understanding school leadership from the social and educational reality of Latin America

  • Educational leadership in the Latin American context
  • Gender perspective as an opportunity for school management
  • Pedagogical leadership in dialogue with the Salesian educational approach

Module 2 · Leading through effective educommunication

Communicate to educate, connect, and build community

  • Educommunication as a key charismatic factor in today's youth context
  • Communication networks in the school community to strengthen the common project
  • Building collaborative ecosystems that facilitate learning

Module 3 · Leading from a Theo-Anthropological Gender Perspective

Deepening leadership from a Christian understanding of the person

  • Two models of leadership in the book of Exodus
  • Theology and anthropology of care
  • Models of pedagogical leadership in the Gospels of Luke and John

Module 4 · Leading for learning

Putting leadership at the service of educational quality

  • Building a collective vision and cultures of teacher collaboration
  • Support for teaching practices to ensure high-quality education
  • Support for student trajectories with a preventive approach

Module 5 · Leading for the care of people

Caring to sustain processes and people over time

  • Self-care as a leadership practice
  • Quality and self-understanding of emotional life
  • Support and educational presence
  • Cultivating vital energy

Stage 2 · Online + in-person training

Fundamentals of Pedagogical and Gender Leadership

Module 1 · Strategic Communication

Develop media and communication skills to promote a consistent and proactive institutional culture.

  • Media literacy
  • Institutional storytelling
  • Educational social networks

Module 2 · Leading strategic processes with a preventive approach

Strengthen the capacity to lead and support institutional changes with a preventive and participatory approach.

  • Salesian preventive leadership
  • Theory of change in educational institutions
  • Building trust and participation

Module 3 · Leading with discernment in Mary's school

Integrate discernment as a process of listening deeply to young people and reality, based on Mary, model and teacher of discernment.

  • Mary, model of discernment
  • A new leadership in synodal terms
  • Mary, teacher of discernment at the Salesian school

Module 4 · Leading Professional Learning Environments and Inclusion

Create conditions for a collaborative culture that promotes equity and professional development for teachers.

  • Building a collective vision and cultures of professional learning communities
  • Design of teacher development plans
  • Inclusion and equity as quality criteria

Module 5 · Leading with resilience while caring for teams

Identify and overcome psychological factors that limit female leadership, promoting resilience and team care.

  • Stress, burnout, and mental load in managers
  • Resilient leadership and self-care
  • Culture of support and mentoring

Links:

Stage 1 brochure
Stage 2 brochure

Faculty

    • Yesika Herrera – Doctor of Psychology (PUCV, Chile)

    • Marcia Koffermann – Doctor of Communications (University of Huelva, Spain)

    • Verónica Leiva – Doctor of Education (University of Oviedo, Spain)

    • Magna Martínez – Doctor of Education (Puerto Rico)

    • Patricia Parraguez – Doctor of Innovation in Social Sciences (Pontifical University of Salamanca)

    • Linda Pocher – Doctor of Dogmatic Theology (Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome)

Admission requirements

    1. Be part of a management and/or coordination team at a school or high school.
    2. Have an institutional certificate issued by the Director General, Legal Representative, or Inspector of the SDB or FMA Province or other group of the Salesian Family, through a formal letter certifying the role performed in the institution.

Link: https://bit.ly/49T5QfN

Sample letter

Registration information

Course fee: USD 370

Step 1

Make payment using one of the following options:
– Webpay with debit/credit cards stage 1 at this link 

– Webpay with debit/credit cards stage 2 at this link
– Electronic transfer to:
Name: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
Bank: Banco Santander Chile
Bank address: Prat 882, Valparaíso, Chile
Swift code: BSCHCLRM
Current account number in dollars: 5070350198-1. 

Step 2

Complete this registration form

Step 3

Proof of payment will be requested upon completion of the registration form.

Coordination committee

Magna Martinez

Patricia Parraguez

 

[email protected]

Contact
Schedule
Scroll to top