Eight school teams have been awarded in the National Education and Entrepreneurship Awards Future Minds 2024, organized by the Government of Asturias, Valnalón and Genyus School, and sponsored by Unicaja. The winners have presented innovative and sustainable projects, such as a hearing aid to translate languages, a school vehicle or a device to reduce traffic accidents.
The award ceremony was held at the Laboral Center for Art and Industrial Creation in Gijón, as part of the 1st National Festival of Education and Entrepreneurship - Future Minds Fest 2024. Unicaja, as one of the sponsors of the event, presented the National Primary School Award in the Viability Category to the Alto Nalón Rural Grouped School (CRA) (Asturias) for the proposal ‘La escuela va al mercáu', focused on students with heart conditions.
Unicaja’s head of Northern Commercial Banking, Luis Taboada, and the head of the Eastern Asturias Zone, Ana Fonseca, presented this award, which values such important aspects as a solid business plan, considering financial aspects, necessary resources and the possibility of carrying out the idea effectively.
"For Unicaja it is an honor to support these awards that promote the entrepreneurial culture of our students, protagonists of the development and future of our country, an initiative aligned with our commitment as a financial institution for companies and entrepreneurs," said Taboada.
Future Minds Awards
The Future Minds National Education and Entrepreneurship Awards were created with the mission of recognizing educational projects that present new and creative ideas and encourage innovative thinking and the ability to find original solutions to the challenges of today's society.
Twelve winning projects reached the national phase in the regional phases, held in Asturias, Madrid and Castilla y León, with nearly 70 proposals.
Winning projects
These are the winners in each category and educational level:
Primary education:
- Innovation: Condado de Noreña School, for the project ‘Una persona, muchas capacidades’, against discrimination against women with disabilities.
- Sustainability and social impact: San José Red Educativa Arenales, from Castilla y León, for the 'Educamión' initiative, a school vehicle that travels throughout the region.
- Viability: Rural Grouped School (CRA) del Alto Nalón (Asturias) for the proposal 'La escuela va al mercáu', focused on students with heart disease.
- Communication: Santa Olaya School, of Gijón/Xixón, for the project 'Diario de un día siendo mayor', which promotes a healthy and sustainable life.
Secondary education:
- Innovation: Peñacorada International School, from Castilla y León, for the 'Poliphonic' initiative, a hearing aid that translates into different languages.
- Sustainability and social impact: Montedeva School of Gijón, for the proposal ‘Cambiando días... mejorando vidas’.
- Viability: IES La Fresneda (Asturias), with the 'Antikamikaces' project, to reduce traffic accidents.
- Communication: La Corolla School (Asturias), for the 'Slow Generation' initiative, to raise awareness of environmental and ecological problems.