Startup Valencia, ATH21, and the educational community Para Profes have joined forces to promote the ‘Adopta un Colegio’ initiative. This project aims to facilitate the connection between individuals, companies, and educational manufacturers to help teachers, families, and students in areas affected by the floods caused by DANA to recover education and return to normalcy in classrooms.
‘Adopta un Colegio’ is a collaborative educational aid platform designed to centralize donations and coordinate volunteer efforts and the collection of educational materials. Additionally, monetary donations will be channeled through Admundi, an NGO focused on child development aid, and the Migranodearena Foundation.
The ‘Adopta un Colegio’ team has mapped out the specific needs of each educational center, contact persons, and the current status of each school to ensure that resources are delivered quickly and efficiently to where they are most needed.
According to data from the National Statistics Institute, the Valencian Generalitat’s Department of Education, and the InfoDANA portal, there are 169,000 minors affected and over 100 schools destroyed. Of the more than 60,000 students involved, 24,000 are without schools or are in temporary accommodation plans.
“In light of the current situation, at Startup Valencia, we have not hesitated to put all our knowledge, resources, and the expertise of the Valencian innovation and technology ecosystem at the service of reconstruction. This is how we contribute to helping these children regain normalcy as soon as possible,” said Juan Luis Hortelano, President of Startup Valencia.
“Schools must, now more than ever in Valencia, be spaces where our children can return to the normalcy they deserve. We want to protect them and, to the extent possible, return them to a safe environment with psychological support to manage this tragedy. That is why we have taken on the legal and regulatory aspects of this project pro bono,” said Cristina Carrascosa, lawyer and CEO of ATH21.
Daniel Perelló, CEO and founder of Para Profes, stated, “The youngest are always the most forgotten in tragedies. They should never have to experience them. Many teachers have not hesitated to create educational resources, offer training for affected families, and make themselves available to the children to help them remember everything as a story. Schools right now should be safe and happy spaces. That’s why Para Profes and a team of volunteer teachers and educators have joined forces to make this happen through this initiative.”
Companies such as Wuolah, with a community of over 3 million students, are already actively collaborating with the initiative by raising funds among their users, while Sapos y Princesas, El Mundo’s family portal, provides resources and promotes the cause through its channels. At the same time, several schools have begun sending requests, inventories, damage reports, and detailed budgets with their most urgent needs.
