The V "Escoles Sentinella" Congress brings together 600 students and teachers at CosmoCaixa to promote health research from the classroom

On Friday 23 May, the CosmoCaixa Science Museum in Barcelona will host the V Congress Escoles Sentinella: recerca en salut amb i per a la comunitat educativa, a meeting that brings together 600 students and teachers from 12 schools throughout Catalonia, as well as representatives of the scientific community and the public administration. The conference highlights the transformative role of participatory research as an educational and health promotion tool.

A collaborative project between science and schools

The Escoles Sentinella project is a research initiative promoted by the Department of Health in coordination with the Department of Education and Vocational Training. It is designed and implemented by the Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), which acts as coordinator, together with IrsiCaixa through its Living Lab for Health, the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and the IDIAP Jordi Gol. The aim is to actively involve the educational community in the study of topics such as mental health or infectious diseases, promoting scientific learning from within the classroom.

The students take the floor

During the congress, organised in two sessions (from 10 am to 11:30 am and from 12 pm to 1:30 pm), students present their own research projects and participate in a debate space with research staff and institutional managers. This meeting encourages the exchange of ideas, gives a voice to students and highlights the real impact of their proposals on improving health and well-being in schools.

The conference has the participation of key figures such as Jordi Casabona, director of CEEISCAT and principal investigator of the project; Rosina Malagrida, head of the Living Lab for Health at IrsiCaixa; Esteve Fernández, Secretary of Public Health; Roser Cervera, Deputy Director General of Student Guidance, Participation and Well-being; and Josep Basora, director of IDIAP Jordi Gol.

A benchmark in participatory research

Since its birth in 2020 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project has established itself as a model of collaboration between science and education. Their results show how the active participation of students in research processes improves the understanding of key issues for collective health and generates useful evidence to guide public policies and educational practices.

Learn more

More details about the project can be found in escolessentinella.cat.