On Saturday, August 22, UMECIT held a day of parallel activities focused on environmental protection, student training, and strengthening the link between the University, public institutions, and communities.

As part of this day, 60 students from the Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Management Administration and the Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Safety and Health, under the coordination of Professor Ricauter Betancourt, participated in the "Regional Workshop for Strengthening Capacities in Climate Action and Ecosystem Conservation".

The activity was carried out within the framework of the agreement between UMECIT and the Ministry of the Environment, and was facilitated by María Araúz, from the North Panama Regional Office. The meeting allowed students to strengthen their knowledge and connect their academic training with current challenges in climate action, conservation, and ecosystem protection.

Simultaneously, in the township of San Martín, specifically on the El Charcón river, a cleaning and environmental recovery day was carried out, developed in conjunction with the San Martín Community Board and within the framework of the institutional link with the Ministry of Environment.

This initiative was coordinated by the Office of Outreach and Community Engagement and the Academic Office, under the direction of Professor Aixa Álvarez, Megamall Coordinator. Preschool and Psychology students participated in the event, accompanied by Professors Luciano and Mirna, and together they collected 15 bags of waste.

The activity also included the presence of Master Yelitza González, Director of Extension and Social Linkage, who highlighted with her participation the institutional commitment to promote a university close to the communities and committed to the positive transformation of its environment.

These two actions, although developed in different scenarios, shared the same purpose: to form conscious citizens, strengthen capacities and promote solutions to the environmental needs of our country.

The collaboration with the Ministry of Environment allows students to connect their knowledge with the environmental policies, strategies, and challenges facing Panama, while the joint work with the Community Board strengthens the University's presence in the territories and fosters active participation for the benefit of the communities.

For UMECIT, Extension and Social Linkage represents an essential component of comprehensive training, because it allows knowledge to go beyond the classroom and be transformed into actions that generate concrete results.

When university, state, and community work together, knowledge becomes action and action becomes social impact.