Environmental Education as a Strategy for Transformation in Rural Contexts in Colombia: An Analysis Based on the School Environmental Project

Environmental education is today a vital component for mitigating the planetary climate change crisis and promoting socio-spatial equality among the population, capitalizing on the development of public policies that ensure assertive educational options by strengthening the connection between local actors and the cultural transformation processes of communities. In Colombia, the School Environmental Project (PRAE) is proposed as a strategy aimed at integrating the environmental dimension into the conventional school curriculum. The aim of this research was to analyze the tensions and scope of environmental education in the rural context, based on the relationship between public policy orientations and territorial dynamics. To do this, a literature review was conducted —28 articles published between 2020 and 2025— along with a documentary analysis of the regulatory framework for environmental education in the country. Triangulation showed that, although the PRAE has high potential to strengthen the school–community relationship and promote participatory environmental practices, there are still academic and administrative inconsistencies between environmental education pedagogical strategies and the institutional guidelines of the projects. These conditions limit the continuity, coherence, and follow-up of environmental actions in educational contexts. It is concluded that strengthening environmental education requires recognizing the territory as a pedagogical axis and redefining the project as a strategy aimed at social transformation, beyond its technical and regulatory compliance.