The Atapuerca Foundation and the "la Caixa" Foundation present a programme to bring archaeology closer to children at risk of social exclusion
La Caixa" Foundation ─in the framework of the "Culture for All" project ─ and the Atapuerca Foundation have signed a collaboration agreement with the aim of bringing the research carried out at the Atapuerca Mountains sites closer to children at risk of social exclusion in the CaixaProinfancia programme.
The aim of this initiative is to provide all children and adolescents with quality cultural and educational opportunities. This is especially important for those in vulnerable situations, as it can serve as an engine for change and offer possibilities for a better future.
To contribute to this approach to culture and science, both entities developed a programme of didactic, scientific and recreational activities, which are taking place these days at the sites of the Sierra de Atapuerca, coinciding with the excavation campaign.
The activities were, on the one hand, "Archaeologists for a day", which took place on 13 July; and, on the other hand, "Archaeologists for three days", which took place from 11 to 13 July. The participants had an approach to culture and science and also enjoyed a totally immersive experience, hand in hand with the best scientists and researchers on human evolution in our country. 38 children and adolescents from Burgos and Valladolid took part in this scientific, cultural and recreational camp in the Atapuerca Mountains.
Both programmes, designed by the Atapuerca Foundation, included workshops on archaeology, prehistory, human evolution and the environment, as well as visits to the Atapuerca sites, the Centre for Experimental Archaeology (CAREX), the Museum of Human Evolution and Paleolithic Living. Accommodation was provided a few kilometres from the Atapuerca sites, specifically at the Granja Escuela Arlanzón.
In addition, as part of this programme and to complement this activity, the Atapuerca Foundation and the "la Caixa" Foundation produced an audiovisual presentation in which, through human evolution and more specifically the Atapuerca sites, a series of essential values were worked on in order to move forward in the responsible evolution and conscious progress of humanity. Some of the principles that were worked on were generosity, solidarity, respect, inclusion, acceptance of differences, the importance of living in a cohesive society and respect for our environment, among many others. This material was a perfect complement to consolidate the concepts worked on during the visit to the Atapuerca sites and to work on the values mentioned above.
CaixaProinfancia
The CaixaProinfancia programme has been running throughout Spain since 2007 with the main aim of guaranteeing the socio-educational promotion of children, providing families with a series of aids focused on educational reinforcement, non-formal education, family educational support, psychosocial therapy and health promotion.
In Castilla y León, CaixaProinfancia began in 2015 and until the end of 2022, the programme has accompanied 183 children and adolescents and 113 families in Valladolid, and 186 minors and 103 families in Burgos, with a total accumulated investment of 618,820 euros.
CaixaProinfancia seeks to break the line of transmission of poverty from parents to their children and promote equal opportunities. The programme is aimed at children and adolescents in situations of economic poverty and social vulnerability, with the aim of promoting and supporting their comprehensive development, favouring and supporting policies to improve equity and social cohesion.
CaixaProinfancia has the collaboration of more than 400 social entities that work in a network and are responsible for directly assisting families, prioritising aid and monitoring each case. In Valladolid, the collaborating entities that develop the programme are Fundación Juan Soñador, as the coordinating entity of the network, Fundación Secretariado Gitano and Casa de Juventud Aleste. In Burgos the coordinating entity is also Juan Soñador and the entities providing services are Cáritas, Fundación Secretariado Gitano and Fundación Lesmes.
CaixaProinfancia not only promotes networking between social entities. The project also promotes coordinated action with other agents in the area (town councils, schools and health centres, among others) to provide a global and comprehensive response to the needs of children and adolescents and their families. Therefore, the assessment of each case, the work plan with specific objectives, the monitoring and evaluation of the same are carried out jointly by the parties involved.
All these organisations act on the premise that the young people of today are the adults who will form the society of tomorrow, and therefore attention to children is a determining factor in achieving their wellbeing, but also in building a fairer, more equitable and cohesive society.