University of Turku

02/22/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/22/2024 09:08

KiVa enters Mexico now also in Spanish language for a country wide implementation

Instituto Escalae will start distributing KiVa program in Mexico also in Spanish. Institute, led by Federico Malpica, is a long-time parter of the KiVa Antibullying Program with successful years operating in Mexico in English.

KiVa is already available in Spanish in Spain and in Chile but thanks to the expansion of this collaboration, KiVa materials will be updated to match the English version and localized to the Mexican context.

The launch took place at the Residence of the Finnish Ambassador in Mexico on January 2024 in the presence of the Finnish Ambassador Ari Mäki (in the picture below), Federico Malpica and his team of trainers, and Professor Christina Salmivalli, who participated online.

"The interest for KiVa in Latin America has been there for a long time and has increased in the past years. We hope that through this collaboration and the localization of the program to the local context, many more schools in Mexico can benefit soon from the program and tackle school bullying effectively", says International Program Manager Johanna Kivinen.

"In Instituto Escalae, we are proud to deepen our collaboration with the KiVa Anti-Bullying Program. This expansion is a critical milestone in combating school bullying in Mexico, one of the highest worldwide. Through this partnership, we aim to integrate Finnish educational innovation and excellence, embodied by KiVa, with our expertise in Latin American education", says Dr. Federico Malpica Basurto (in picture abowe), Founder and Director of Instituto Escalae.

According to Malpica the synergy will enable more effective anti-bullying strategies in Mexican schools, contributing to the development of safe and respectful learning environments.

"We are confident that this advancement in our collaboration will be a transformative factor in the education and well-being of students in Mexico", he says.

KiVa Koulu is an anti-bullying programme developed at the University of Turku. KiVa aims to prevent bullying in advance. The KiVa Koulu working group is part of the research centre and flagship INVEST.

>> Read more about KiVa

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