We wanted to recover the hope, motivation and interest for knowing and enriching from the European culture in situ in order to lose the fear lived during the pandemic. A fear which could be seen in the students' apathy, lack of self-esteem and confidence, lack of empathy or social abilities, isolation and affection. This project meant a new hope to leave their social, school and familiar environment to cope with new relationships and new reasons to learn and enrich personally. Gaining self-confidence, trusting on others and having a better emotional management. In terms of this high School, this project was intended to give the answers of its necessities, showing the educational community and beyond it, that its rural and geographical situation doesn't have to be an obstacle to have great learning opportunities and experiences out of its classrooms and walls. The creation of an educational community with an open-minded and pluralistic view is another aim this project pursues since the students, teachers, families and local institutions engagement have favored the development of this educational community.
IES El Yelmo is a Secondary and Post Secondary School located in Cortijos Nuevos (Segura de la Sierra), Jaén, in a unique and rural surroundings. 120 students per course from Cortijos Nuevos and small towns surrounding are taught here. The location of the school centre is an advantage for our students because of the benefits the natural park surrounding offers, but it is also a disadvantage because of the distance from urban areas and the lack of cultural and leisure options. The socioeconomic level of the families is medium and there is a high number of gypsy ethnic families and students who need to be aware of the necessity of knowledge acquisitions as well as be aware of having an European social awareness for a better future in the labour market. Most of our students need motivation which drives them to a formation and a future vision beyond their nearer surroundings trying to avoid an early school dropout. Thanks to projects like this and others developed in our school centre, the students get the enthusiasm and motivation needed to achieve the graduation which will lead them to higher education.