Ana María Mejía

A Colombian educator and social entrepreneur who created innovative bilingual education programs that bridged educational gaps for indigenous and marginalized communities.

Ana María Mejía (born 1975) is a transformative educator from Colombia who pioneered bilingual education initiatives for indigenous communities. Founding the Fundación Ana María Mejía in 2001, she developed the Bilingual Education for Empowerment program, which teaches children in both their native languages and Spanish. This model has been implemented in 350+ schools across the Amazon region, improving literacy rates by 65% in participating communities. Her Community Learning Centers provide after-school programs combining traditional knowledge with modern STEM education.

Mejía's Women's Leadership Academy, launched in 2008, trains indigenous women as educators and health workers. Her partnership with UNESCO created the Amazonian Knowledge Network, digitizing 10,000+ hours of ancestral knowledge. In 2016, she introduced the Mobile Learning Units, using solar-powered tablets to deliver education in remote areas. Her publication 《Voices from the Rainforest》 (2019) documents indigenous pedagogical practices. Mejía's work inspired Colombia's 2020 national policy requiring bilingual education in indigenous regions. She currently advises the UNICEF on inclusive education strategies across Latin America.