Campus Ítaca comes to an end and students are encouraged to continue studying after secondary school

Rector Lafuente was particularly "proud" of the impact that a project like this has on the geographical surrounding of the University, while affirming that the example of secondary school students who participate in the Campus Ítaca transmits "a lot of energy". He addressed the students to encourage them to continue studying because "learning is something special that can change the lives of the people around you. And, to their families, he asked them to help because "they are more than prepared" and "they only need a little push".

The rector used himself as an example, explaining that he grew up in a working class neighbourhood and overcame stages with the support of his family, advancing in his academic career to "represent this university that I love so much". And, in addition to praising the work done by all the people and entities involved in the Campus Ítaca, he affirmed that the UAB is committed to continue awarding salary scholarships to help students continue on to higher studies.

"Continue exploring"

For his part, David Baños, head of Institutions-Institutional Banking at Banco Santander, also took the floor to describe Campus Ítaca as an inevitable experience and to affirm that the spirit of the project consists of cultivating "curiosity" and "the will to improve". For this reason, he also encouraged participants to continue studying after secondary school to "keep exploring": "the world needs young people with your creativity," he said, and wished them "all the best" in their "future adventures".

Maria Espadalé, executive vice-president of the Fundació UAB, spoke on behalf of the FAS, saying that "the UAB is very proud of this project". According to her, "What better transfer can the University do than to open its doors" to secondary school students with "very good study skills", as demonstrated by the various projects presented during the event. Espadalé stressed that, in addition, during their stay on campus, they have lived with other young people from different municipalities, promoting the use of the Catalan language. And, addressing the participants, she closed her speech with a wish: "We hope to see you again soon".

This year, 330 third-year secondary school students participated in the Campus Ítaca, which gave them a taste of university life during a stay in which they were accompanied by 24 UAB students who acted as instructors. The informative activities they carried out were organised by university lecturers. The projects they carried out were presented at the two closing ceremonies corresponding to the two rounds of the campus, which were attended by their families. The students received diplomas accrediting their participation in the Campus Ítaca, as well as prizes for the literary and artistic competitions. The families learned about the experiments carried out during their stay at the UAB, which touched on various fields of knowledge: the participants worked in groups on topics such as the nature of light, how robots work, myths and truths about reproduction and gender stereotypes, and many other topics.

 

Students from the Vallès region

The objective of the Campus Ítaca is to encourage secondary school students to continue studying once they have completed their compulsory education. The profile of the people to whom the project is addressed is that of students from schools in the Vallès Ocidental and Vallès Oriental regions with good study skills but who, due to their socioeconomic situation or the lack of adult family members with higher education, find themselves in a situation of educational disadvantage. In addition to encouraging them to continue studying, the Campus Ítaca aims to become a space for coexistence between boys and girls from different social backgrounds, as well as to promote the use of Catalan as a language of communication.

Campus Ítaca has been held since 2004. Throughout the different editions, nearly 7,000 secondary school students have participated. Students who finish upper secondary school at one of the centres that participate in the initiative and who enroll in the first year of any bachelor's degree programme offered by the UAB's teaching centres are eligible for an Ítaca-Banco Santander salary grant. The grant includes the payment of 500 euros per month for ten months, renewable during the years of duration of the bachelor's degree. It also includes free tuition for first-time enrolment credits. Since its creation, nearly three hundred young people have already benefited from these grants.