Individuals do not attain their status as citizens merely by exercising their rights and fulfilling their obligations; citizenship requires their participation and their efforts in benefit of others.

The Tecnológico de Monterrey has taken on the challenge of molding its students and the members of its community into empathic, responsible, and participating citizens that will contribute to the human, economic, and social development of their milieus.

The Institute for Sustainable Development is the body in charge of meeting this goal through programs directed at individuals interested in pursuing an education, establishing or improving a business, or undergoing training to improve their quality of life.

To that end, it develops educational, training, and entrepreneurship programs around high quality courses available to interested parties by means of information technology.

Tecnológico de Monterrey students take part in these programs as assistants to microbusinesses, course tutors, and consultants in their areas of expertise, performed as community social service. Faculty plays a role as mentors who guide and oversee the Tecnológico de Monterrey students’ activities in these programs.

Among the Institute for Sustainable Social Development’s educational offers is the Prepanet, which offers an online high school program to those individuals who, because of time, financial or geographical constraints had not had the opportunity to pursue their high school studies in the traditional mode.

The Institute for Sustainable Social Development reaches its goals by means of the social incubators and community learning centers.

Social incubators

The social incubators make up a national network of centers that cater to marginalized communities near Tecnológico de Monterrey campuses, whose students play an active, face to face role as consultants under their professors’ guidance.

Their work is aimed at knowledge transfer in education, entrepreneurship, health, and housing, to name a few areas.

Community learning centers

The community learning centers, on the other hand, have the support of the Tecnológico de Monterrey, but are largely operated by the Department of Social Development, State governments, companies, or civil society organizations.

These centers are educational spaces aimed at individuals in geographically isolated areas or who lack traditional education services. The network is made up of centers scattered mainly throughout Mexico, although there are several located in the United States and various Latin American countries.

Tecnológico de Monterrey students participate in these Centers as online tutors.