The Campus Ítaca celebrates the end of its first session
On 3 July, the conference hall of the Rectorat building and the auditorium of the Faculty of Humanities and Art held to closing event of this year's first Campus Ítaca session. The initiative aims to motivate teenagers with unfavourable economic situations and good academic performance to continue with their studies.
From 25 June to 13 July, the UAB will have welcomed 395 secondary school students participating in the Campus Ítaca. This initiative aims to motivate adolescents in difficult economic situations and high academic performance to continue with their studies once they complete their compulsory education. This initiative is organised by the Fundació Autònoma Solidaria and funded by Banco Santander.
The students spend a few days at the Bellaterra campus, participating in fun and educational activities which allow them to discover different academic disciplines and become familiar with the university: research projects, treasure hunts, debates, etc.
Groups are made up of twelve students accompanied by an instructor. The activities in which they take part are organised by lecturers of the UAB. The Campus Ítaca takes place in two different sessions: part of the participants visit the UAB from 25 June to 3 July and the other part visits the UAB from 5 to 13 July. At the end of each of session, a closing event is held for students to show the results of their work to families and lecturers.
Some of this year's activities include "Houston, we have a problem!", where students are encouraged to develop a research project by activating motivation and emotion and their psycho-physiological effects. Another of the new activities consists in working on a business idea based on digital technologies. Finally, there is also a new case to be solved in neuroscience in which students will work with drugs and their effects on the brain.
Over five thousand participants
Since its first edition in 2004, over 5,000 students have participated in the Campus Ítaca. The persons selected to participate in Campus Ítaca all have a similar profile: an economically complicated family situation which may tip the balance towards working instead of continuing their studies, the need for adult role models to encourage them to stay in school and communicate this to their family, and a positive academic attitude.
Moreover, the UAB offers the Ítaca-Banco Santander grants, which aim to help these students have access to higher education programmes regardless of their economic situations. A total of 24 salary-grants will be offered for the 2018/19 academic year.