Campus Ítaca awarded for fighting against early school leaving
The Campus Ítaca project, which during 18 editions has focused on encouraging pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to continue with their studies, is conducted by the UAB in collaboration with Santander Universities. This year, it received the "Break the Circle Award" in the first edition of Spain's High Commissioner for the Fight against Child Poverty awards in reccognition of organisations and persons achieving substantial changes in fighting against child poverty.
In its 18 editions, Campus Ítaca has helped a total of 6,433 boys and girls.
The Campus Ítaca project has run for 18 editions and focuses on encouraging pupils from not dropping out from school prematurely. It is run by the UAB through its Fundació Autònoma Solidària (FAS), and previously through the UAB's Institute for Education Studies (ICE), with the collaboration of Santander Universities. This year, it received the "Break the Circle Award" from the Spanish High Commissioner for the Fight Against Child Poverty in its first edition of awards to organisations, businesses and persons making substantial changes in the fight against child poverty in Spain.
The "Break the Circle" awards ceremony took place on Tuesday 14 June at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, with the presence of Minister of Inclusion, Security and Migrations José Luis Escrivá, and the High Commissioner for the Fight Against Child Poverty Ernesto Gasco. Thge ceremony was broadcast by Radio Televisión Española.
Political scientist and consultant Nacho Corredor was in charge of delivering the awards to the UAB and Santander Universities "to the best academic innovation in a programme aimed at fighting early school leaving in children from disadvantaged backgrounds". Receiving the award was UAB General Secretary Esther Zapater, who was accompanied by FAS Director Jordi Prat, and Susana Garcia Espinel, in representation of Santander Universities. Awards also went to many other institutes and people, such as basketball player Pau Gasol, the "la Caixa" Foundation, the Rafa Nadal Foundation, the Inspiring Girls Foundation, and the Fundación Secretariado Gitano.
The objective of these awards is to provide social recognition to these good practices, identifying those who have had great impact for their disruptive or innovative methods, and have created knowledge or disseminated this cause, and identify those individuals acting as agents of change in the fight against child poverty.
Awards were given in the following categories: Best Social Initiative: Fundación Secretariado Gitano and Inspiring Girls Foundation; Best Corporative Initiative: “la Caixa” Foundation; Best Academic Innovation: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Santander Universities; Best Cultural Initiative: Asociación Garaje; Best Initiative for Healthy Lifestyles in Childhood: Rafa Nadal Foundation; Best Personal Commitment: Pau Gasol; Best Solidarity Initiative Launched by Minors: Consejo Municipal de Infancia y Adolescencia de Logroño; Special Award from the Jury: Comunitaria de Servicios a Comunidades SL.
The jury was formed by Luisa Carcedo, Member of Parliament, former Minister for Health and former High Commissioner for the Fight Against Child Poverty; Marc Tur, Olympic athlete; Carolina Martínez, Communications Director of the Club de Malasmadres; Elena Ruiz, President of the Council of Youth of Spain; Almudena Cid, Olympic gymnast and actress; Nacho Corredor, political scientist, writer and talk-show panelist; Belén Gualda, President of the Spanish state-owned industrial holding company Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI); and Ernesto Gasco, High Commissioner for the Fight Against Child Poverty.
The UAB, with Sustainable Development Goals
Reduced inequalities
No poverty