Carlos Alejandro Tiria: Sparking Curiosity to Create Opportunities in Colombia’s Amazon Region
From Leticia, Carlos Alejandro Tiria supports young people in developing digital competencies and life skills, convinced that curiosity can open pathways to new educational and employment opportunities.
BOGOTÁ (ILO News) – When Carlos Alejandro Tiria decided to pursue a degree in Technology Education, he was following a family tradition that seemed destined long before he began his professional career. He grew up in a family where teaching was part of everyday life: his three sisters are educators, and he too found in education a vocation that he now pursues with dedication from the heart of the Colombian Amazon.
Today, he serves as a SENATIC instructor at Colegio Naval de Leticia, where he supports eleventh-grade students in strengthening digital competencies and technological skills that can help expand their educational and employment opportunities.
Through SENATIC, an initiative led by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), SENA, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), young people from different regions of the country strengthen technical knowledge and skills that help them face the challenges of an increasingly digital economy. For Carlos Alejandro, being part of this process means contributing to the development of new generations from one of the country’s most remote territories.
He studied in public educational institutions and later earned a degree in Technology Education from the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia (UPTC), where he also completed a specialization in Information Technology Applied to Education.
After several years working in educational institutions in Boyacá, an opportunity emerged that would change the course of his professional journey: relocating to Leticia to continue teaching in an entirely different context.
“Moving to the Amazon was a significant challenge, but it was also an opportunity to grow as an educator and gain a deeper understanding of other realities across the country.”
Since arriving in Leticia, Carlos Alejandro has encountered an environment that presents unique challenges for educational processes. Weather conditions, connectivity limitations, and the distances characteristic of the Amazon region require both educators and students to be creative and adaptable.
Yet these same conditions have strengthened his commitment to teaching.
BOGOTÁ (ILO News) – When Carlos Alejandro Tiria decided to pursue a degree in Technology Education, he was following a family tradition that seemed destined long before he began his professional career. He grew up in a family where teaching was part of everyday life: his three sisters are educators, and he too found in education a vocation that he now pursues with dedication from the heart of the Colombian Amazon.
Today, he serves as a SENATIC instructor at Colegio Naval de Leticia, where he supports eleventh-grade students in strengthening digital competencies and technological skills that can help expand their educational and employment opportunities.
Through SENATIC, an initiative led by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), SENA, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), young people from different regions of the country strengthen technical knowledge and skills that help them face the challenges of an increasingly digital economy. For Carlos Alejandro, being part of this process means contributing to the development of new generations from one of the country’s most remote territories.
From Boyacá to the Amazon
Carlos Alejandro was born in Santa Rosa de Viterbo and grew up in Duitama, Boyacá. He is the third of four siblings in a family where hard work and perseverance have always been fundamental values. His mother worked as a seamstress and his father in construction, while he and his sisters found in education a way to serve their communities.He studied in public educational institutions and later earned a degree in Technology Education from the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia (UPTC), where he also completed a specialization in Information Technology Applied to Education.
After several years working in educational institutions in Boyacá, an opportunity emerged that would change the course of his professional journey: relocating to Leticia to continue teaching in an entirely different context.
“Moving to the Amazon was a significant challenge, but it was also an opportunity to grow as an educator and gain a deeper understanding of other realities across the country.”
Teaching Technology in Southern Colombia
Since arriving in Leticia, Carlos Alejandro has encountered an environment that presents unique challenges for educational processes. Weather conditions, connectivity limitations, and the distances characteristic of the Amazon region require both educators and students to be creative and adaptable.
Yet these same conditions have strengthened his commitment to teaching.
“The most important thing is for students to maintain their curiosity and desire to learn. When there is genuine interest, there is always a way to move forward.”
As a SENATIC instructor, he works with young people who are interested in areas such as programming, computer maintenance, electronics, and digital technologies. For many of them, exposure to these subjects represents an opportunity to discover new academic and professional possibilities.
One of the aspects Carlos Alejandro values most about his work is seeing students begin to imagine new possibilities for their future. Some dream of becoming aeronautical engineers or pilots. Others are interested in fields such as medicine, psychology, or ophthalmology. There are also those who are still exploring different options while discovering their interests and strengths. For Carlos Alejandro, supporting that process is just as important as teaching technical concepts.
“Beyond sharing knowledge, our goal is for students to learn how to investigate, find solutions, and develop a critical perspective when facing challenges.”
He believes that technological education helps strengthen competencies that are valuable in any professional pathway, regardless of the field each learner ultimately chooses to pursue.
Teaching occupies a central place in both his personal and professional aspirations. While continuing to support his students, he also plans to further strengthen his own academic background through postgraduate studies related to education and technology.
For him, lifelong learning is essential in a world where technological advances continuously transform the way people study, work, and communicate. He also highlights the importance of initiatives that bring educational opportunities to territories that have historically been distant from the country’s main educational centres.
“It is important that these programmes continue reaching more communities, municipalities, and rural areas. Education opens doors and creates opportunities for many people.”
At 29 years old, Carlos Alejandro is convinced that education remains one of the most powerful tools for transforming lives. From classrooms in the Amazon region, he continues to spark curiosity, promote learning, and support young people who are beginning to build their own life projects.
His story reflects how the combination of a teaching vocation, technological knowledge, and commitment to communities can help expand opportunities and strengthen the talent of new generations in every corner of the country.
Inspiring Vocations and Expanding Horizons
One of the aspects Carlos Alejandro values most about his work is seeing students begin to imagine new possibilities for their future. Some dream of becoming aeronautical engineers or pilots. Others are interested in fields such as medicine, psychology, or ophthalmology. There are also those who are still exploring different options while discovering their interests and strengths. For Carlos Alejandro, supporting that process is just as important as teaching technical concepts.
“Beyond sharing knowledge, our goal is for students to learn how to investigate, find solutions, and develop a critical perspective when facing challenges.”
He believes that technological education helps strengthen competencies that are valuable in any professional pathway, regardless of the field each learner ultimately chooses to pursue.
Learning and Continuing to Learn
Teaching occupies a central place in both his personal and professional aspirations. While continuing to support his students, he also plans to further strengthen his own academic background through postgraduate studies related to education and technology.
For him, lifelong learning is essential in a world where technological advances continuously transform the way people study, work, and communicate. He also highlights the importance of initiatives that bring educational opportunities to territories that have historically been distant from the country’s main educational centres.
“It is important that these programmes continue reaching more communities, municipalities, and rural areas. Education opens doors and creates opportunities for many people.”
Investing in the Future
At 29 years old, Carlos Alejandro is convinced that education remains one of the most powerful tools for transforming lives. From classrooms in the Amazon region, he continues to spark curiosity, promote learning, and support young people who are beginning to build their own life projects.
His story reflects how the combination of a teaching vocation, technological knowledge, and commitment to communities can help expand opportunities and strengthen the talent of new generations in every corner of the country.
Carlos Alejandro Tiria Cabra, a SENATIC instructor at Colegio Naval de Leticia, supports young people in the Amazon region in strengthening their digital competencies and life skills, helping to expand their educational and employment opportunities.
