‘Young people launched into science’, a project of the Fundació Verge Blanca in collaboration with IRBLleida to foster interest in science for a group of young people at social risk

'Youths launched to science' is the name of the project of the Verge Blanca Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Lleida (IRBLleida), to promote the interest in science of a group of 15 young people between 12 and 16 years old in a situation of social risk. The initiative is a socio-educational intervention in which different areas such as free time, community and biomedical research are worked on. The project includes a scientific workshop at IRBLleida and another workshop at the CREBA centre.

The project is a three-month training, which began in April and ends in June. Participation in the programme is based on reports from social entities and social services that young people derive from the programme.

"Education activities in free time can become a playful way of approaching science and knowledge for young people who are demotivated, disassociated and with little hope" explained the manager of the Fundació Verge Blanca, Òscar Costa Vàzquez.

As the project coordinator, Aina Basco Eroles, explains, "based on the educational link and motivation generated by these activities, intense educational processes can be generated."

The Verge Blanca Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been working in the Terres de Lleida for more than 50 years, with the aim of serving the whole of society in the specific field of education in the leisure of children, adolescents and young people, adults and seniors, both from volunteer actions and from the professional field.

The activity is possible thanks to the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and Innovation.