The ElquiLabs project was initiated by the Equity Pioneers team. It focuses on the shortcomings and development dilemmas of STEM education in rural areas of Chile. Through the models of local empowerment and collaborative learning, it helps rural communities break through bottlenecks such as resource scarcity and brain drain. Rural areas in Chile have long been neglected by centralized policies. There are problems such as a shortage of STEM teachers, weak digital infrastructure, and backward teaching methods. Moreover, due to the lack of local development opportunities, young talents continue to migrate to cities, exacerbating the urban - rural gap. The project takes rural communities like Vicuña and La Higuera as pilot areas. Taking advantage of the implementation of the local public education service system (SLEP Elqui) in July 2025, it constructs three core modules: a physical makerspace, a digital platform, and a health center. It provides low - cost adaptable toolkits, online courses, community challenge projects, and mental health support. Through the operation mode of “community - led and multi - party collaboration”, combined with an integral incentive mechanism and a public - private partnership network, the project empowers teenagers, educators, and families, cultivates STEM skills and entrepreneurial capabilities, reduces the outflow of talents, and promotes the endogenous development of rural areas.
