Salamanca will host the IX National Meeting of Second Chance Schools this Tuesday, April 29, with around 400 people attending to advocate for «investment in education as a tool for equity.»
This was expressed by the director of the Spanish Association of Second Chance Schools, Elena Bayón, who presented the event alongside the councilor for Family and Equal Opportunities, Miryam Rodríguez.
Bayón explained that 70 young people they are working with have collaborated in organizing the event, reflecting an «inspiring aspect» of what Second Chance Schools represent, helping «young people believe in themselves again and families regain hope.»
«Young people come to speak, to build, and to claim their place. They are agents of change, not beneficiaries of an intervention,» she emphasized, highlighting that when given an opportunity, «talent emerges.»
Furthermore, the director of the Second Chance Schools Association emphasized the merit of these schools that «fill the gaps where the educational system failed to support» and mentioned their 67 percent success rate based on pillars such as integration, challenging competencies, business collaboration, and networking.
On the other hand, the councilor noted that «six out of every ten euros» of the Salamanca City Council’s 2025 budget are allocated to social policies, while the number of insertion workers in companies providing municipal services has increased by 106 percent since 2016.
Similarly, the territorial manager of Social Services from the Junta, Isabel Fernández, defended that «a country’s first obligation is to protect its young people and create equal opportunities.»
In this regard, she mentioned that the Junta’s Social Services Management has six contracted centers for child protection that serve as «an example of how comprehensive care for minors has been integrated.»
Fernández detailed that they offer «educational adaptation and very inclusive leisure as both occupation and therapy for boys with very tough life stories,» helping them «heal emotionally and believe in themselves.»
During the National Meeting presentation, three young people from Casa Santiago Uno in Salamanca, Miguel Enrique, Marian, and Sami, shared their experiences through a speech, reading a text, and performing a rap.