Dressed in pirate costumes, the 4th year students of the double Degrees of Pedagogy and Teaching in Education Primary and Early Childhood, as well as the Degree of Pedagogy of the University of Navarra, received the seven students of the curriculum Adapted Program (PCA) of the Illundain Foundation and together they enjoyed a series of activities as part of a project that seeks the educational and labor inclusion of people in status vulnerability. 

The project, called Confianza y Avanza, sought to promote development staff through work in teams, helping to boost confidence in each of the students and in their interpersonal relationships. Education The activities proposed in this project, "were specifically designed to stimulate learning in a safe and supportive environment," explains Lucía Irigoyen, a fourth-year student of the Degree in Primary Education and Pedagogy at the University of Navarra and a member of the committee communication team for the activity. 

Thus, the student body of the Illundain Foundation's PCA embarked on collecting, through the exercises proposed in a gymkhana, the necessary pieces for fill in the activity designed by the students of School of Education and Psychology. 

challenge For Lucía, the biggest challenge they faced was "adapting and understanding the reality of the students who were coming". In addition, "at the last minute we found out that half of the students we thought were coming and one of them was on crutches. We had to do our part to change the dynamics in some way and make everyone feel included and comfortable. In addition to the physical impediments of this student there were others who had language difficulties and we all made an effort so that they did not feel left behind and could participate in all the activities". This was a learning experience because "until you get in front of them you are not really aware of how they might think, how they might feel or how they might react, so you have to be open to changing the speech and plans at any time".
 

A service-learning activity
All this workshop is part of a project that is developed as part of the subject Fundamentos y estrategias de la acción socioeducativa II. 

In it, the 34 students who are part of it have joined together by committees to work on the different facets of the activity. "The goal of this is to unite the learning of the contents of the subject with the social commitment for educational and social inclusion," says University of Navarra professor and researcher Sarah Carrica. 

"This activity has helped us all realize that what we do at class can really have an impact on other people, which is really what we are training for. It has given us a very important push in trusting that everything we learn is a small grain of sand that will help us to deal with whatever status. And, more importantly, it has helped me to realize how important it is to work as a team, and to trust in the work of others, because although I could not have under control everything that was working each group I know that everything has contributed to move forward this project", reflects Lucia Irigoyen.

As the teacher explains, this activity, which began in 2015, started with the intention of working with the student body of the School of Education and Psychology on how to design socio-educational intervention projects. "Given that the subject is studied in 4th year of degree program, it was considered appropriate not only to learn how to design a project of these characteristics, but also how to develop and evaluate it". For this purpose, Carrica adds, the service-learning methodology proved to be appropriate. Nine years later, the activity is still maintained as a partnership between two educational institutions for educational and social inclusion. "And the fact is that, year after year, we professionals in both areas see that achieving the objectives of the subject is not the goal, but the excuse for endless personal and community learning that day arises in both groups of students".