Learning without Frontiers

Aprende Sin Barreras, the first online academy for young people with special educational needs, starts its test phase

• Aprende Sin Barreras is successfully carrying out its test phase with 5 students.
• The aim is to work together with the students so that they obtain the necessary skills to develop a full and autonomous life.
• RastroSolidario ONGD offers families grants of up to 50% of the cost of the training.

Aprende Sin Barreras, the first online academy for young people with special training needs, has started its test phase, testing the syllabus with 5 students. This project, created by the NGO RastroSolidario with the collaboration of Remittel, a leading Valencian company in the collection of bio-waste, aims to use technological opportunities to bring educational support to young people with special training needs.

Aprende Sin Barreras is based on weekly online classes, delivered telematically to two students per session. So far, the follow-up has been positive, since, according to the director of Aprende Sin Barreras, José Ramón Cuesta, “the initiative has been well received and both the students and their tutors and staff are very satisfied”.
The training is aimed at encouraging students to develop the skills necessary to exercise autonomy in daily life activities. Specifically, it is divided into five educational modules: adaptation to online work; language and healthy use of technologies; functional mathematics for daily life, self-knowledge and personal development; preparation for working and independent life; and robotics lessons.

The last module, which is still in the development phase, is one of the major novelties of this initiative. The mTiny robot will be used for its development, which is “an educational tool to develop curiosity, imagination and cognitive skills, as well as to promote social and emotional development”, adds José Ramón Cuesta. The lessons make it possible to address areas of the other modules and other new ones, in a playful, collaborative and communicative environment.
For his part, the manager of the Remittel company, Norberto Soro, explains that this initiative is part of its social responsibility actions “in our commitment to society and sustainability, and in line with the philosophy of our business group, Selev Biogroup”. One of them is the continued support offered by the social organisation RastroSolidario, which is leading this initiative. “Thanks to Aprende sin barreras, we are helping to respond to a need that is very present today, such as training support for people with intellectual disabilities through technology”.

The classes are taught by teachers from the end-of-Master’s degree internships, who “put a lot of enthusiasm and affection into their lessons”, says the director. The teaching team is made up of Amparo Martínez, psychiatrist; Pablo Montoliu, speech therapist; Aarón Turpín, PhD in Therapeutic Pedagogy; and Gabriela Coñomán, special education teacher.
There are several possibilities to access the course, as well as options to obtain grants of up to 50% of the cost thanks to the money raised through the Solidarity Oil initiative organised by RastroSolidario ONGD and Remittel.
In short, the aim of Aprende Sin Barreras is to work together with the students so that they obtain the necessary skills to develop a full and autonomous life. Finally, more information can be found on the academy’s website https://aprendesinbarreras.org/ or by sending an email to academia@rastrosolidario.org with instructions.

About “RastroSolidario ONGD”.
RastroSolidario is a non-governmental development organisation (NGDO) founded in 2011 through the launch of a collective Fundraising Platform.
The aim of the organisation is to provide financial resources to NGOs, foundations and associations that work for the welfare and development of the most disadvantaged groups through social enterprises that bring economic benefit, social benefit and environmental benefit.