Pony Malta's Shopping Center School Makes Education More Accessible

The pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns have brought a myriad of changes to people in every corner of the world. In Colombia, the shift to online learning has seen more than 200,000 students drop out of school as they have limited access to technology. 

With many schools still closed due to the pandemic, Pony Malta, one of the leading beverages among teens in Colombia, found a way to make education more accessible. Along with their creative agency, MullenLowe SSP3, Pony Malta has created Pony Vital School Center, to bring education to the one place that is still open: malls. The school has been set up in the Paseo Villa del Rio Shopping Center, with students aged 6-12 able to attend four classes a day for reading and writing, English, spelling and scientific thinking. 

Juan Alonso Torres, marketing director for ABInBev’s Pony Malta says: “In Colombia, the lack of access to technology, coupled with the economic struggles the pandemic has brought, has meant many parents have had to pull their children out of school because they do not have the available devices at home or simply because they can no longer afford it. Children should not have to compromise on their education, so we wanted to find a way to help them continue learning despite the current situation. We hope that through this activation we can help children be the best version of themselves, by giving them access to the education they’re entitled to.” 

Jorge Pinto and Guillermo Siachoque, MullenLowe SSP3 creative directors behind the idea added: “When ideas have a positive impact on people, they become more relevant. When ideas are focused on solving real problems, they bring brands to life. We are very excited to have been given the chance to find an innovative way to allow children to access their education, at a time when so many families were struggling due to the pandemic.”

Pony Vital has been open since 26th Feb, 2021, and over 200 children have attended classes at Pony Vital, with over 30 attending the classes every day.