Our Guayaquil Campus hosted an enriching day with The Brand Journey Challenge – COPOL Impact Challenge 2026, a joint initiative between ECOTEC and the COPOL school. We brought together 11th and 12th grade students who, in front of parents, teachers and coordinators, showed their ability to observe their surroundings and propose real solutions through marketing. Participants took on the challenge of delivering pitches to defend their projects in three categories: Global Impact, Green Impact and Future Impact.
A partnership that turns entrepreneurship into a creative lab
As we mark our 20 years as an institution, we continue to create opportunities for young people to put their knowledge at the service of society. This strategic partnership is a clear example, turning the entrepreneurship course into a space for hands-on, experiential practice. Katherine Calero Cedeño, M.A., Dean of our School of Communication, Humanities, and Creativity, highlighted the importance of these initiatives: “We firmly believe that education is transformed when traditional values coexist with technological innovation. This challenge was created with exactly that purpose: to turn the entrepreneurship course into a true creative and strategic lab.” She also encouraged participants, reminding them that “society needs young creators; trust your ideas and let your creativity be the bridge to a better future.”
During the event, the teams developed innovative proposals by taking on the role of real advertising agencies, with the goal of creating the next big campaign for “Copolito,” their school’s mascot and institutional image. COPOL’s Academic Vice Principal, Linda García, M.A., highlighted the value of this initiative: “This partnership between ECOTEC and COPOL shows how academic life and the development of new skills are strengthened in every respect by experiencing marketing for real. Here we will see strategy, creativity and purpose at their finest.” She also thanked our institution for the opportunity and praised the students’ effort and teamwork.
Judges and winners of the Brand Journey Challenge
To evaluate these campaigns, designed to go beyond communicating and make a real impact, we had a panel of expert judges: Ronny Paredes, M.A., ECOTEC‘s Coordinator of Communication, Journalism and Media Lab; María Fernanda Rada, B.A., Head of COPOL’s Individuals and Societies department; Carlos Naranjo, M.A., COPOL’s Head of Marketing; Marina Poblete, B.A., Visual Arts teacher at COPOL; and Marlon Vargas, advertising expert and Creative Director at BAKU.
The winners were students Ivanna Bellolio, Mario Izurieta and Lenin Holguín, who took the afternoon’s top prize, the “Big Impact” award. Their project, Copolito SkillMatch, is an innovative educational proposal that sets up an internal knowledge-sharing network to combat academic isolation and the lack of spaces for young talent. The platform works on a peer-learning model, allowing students to use a catalog of skills to teach what they have mastered and get timely support in areas where they are struggling.
At ECOTEC, we explore so we can dare to go beyond the familiar; we lead to turn knowledge into initiative; and we transform education to leave a mark that reaches beyond the classroom and contributes to society. Every step we take brings us closer to new possibilities and to a future built with purpose.
