The Radios Referentes project closes its first edition with a gathering of schools from across Spain
The Radios Referentes project, promoted by UNICEF Spain in collaboration with Learn to Check and with the support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), has come to an end with a gathering held on 11 June in Tudela de Duero (Valladolid), bringing together 6 of the 11 participating schools to share experiences, lessons learned and good practices.
During the event, held at CEIP Pinoduero, the host school, teachers, students, families and communication professionals had the opportunity to learn about and share the radio, broadcasting and podcast projects developed throughout the programme.
Radios Referentes was created with the aim of using school radio as a tool to work on media and information literacy (MIL), children’s rights, critical thinking and the fight against disinformation. Throughout the project, more than 500 children and adolescents have taken part in activities in which they have researched, fact-checked information, created content and reflected on the issues that affect and interest them.
Learning to inform in order to learn to participate
One of the project’s main lessons has been to demonstrate the potential of school radio as a media education tool. Beyond teaching students to consume information critically, Radios Referentes has presented content creation as an opportunity to learn how to search for and verify information, work as a team, express themselves and understand the impact their words have on their surroundings.
Throughout the project, students have developed skills related to information verification, critical thinking, communication and digital literacy, while also using radio to address issues linked to children’s and adolescents’ rights, coexistence and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A radio to give children a voice
The final gathering provided a first-hand opportunity to learn how each school has incorporated radio, podcasts or even cinema into its educational project and how students have participated in content creation. The experiences shared showed that radio can become a space for genuine participation in which children and adolescents can research their surroundings, express their opinions and concerns, listen to other voices and contribute to the educational community.
The event also featured students from CEIP Pinoduero, who shared their experience and reflected on the importance of feeling heard and being able to participate in the life of their school.
A project shared by 11 schools
Radios Referentes involved 11 schools from 10 autonomous communities: CRA Siglo XXI in Burgos, IES Licenciado Francisco Cascales in Murcia, Colegio Rural de Alpartir, Colegio La Estación in Arnedo, CEIP Pinoduero in Tudela de Duero, Colegio Episcopal Sagrada Familia in Sigüenza, CP Palacio Valdés in Avilés, CEIP Fernando III el Santo in La Laguna, CEIP Donoso Cortés in Don Benito, Colegio Maristas-Nuestra Señora de La Victoria in Málaga and Escola Guinardó in Barcelona.
Throughout the project, teachers received training and specialised support from Learn to Check to integrate media and information literacy into their radio and podcast projects. Students, for their part, had the opportunity to put these skills into practice through content creation and work on issues related to information, coexistence and children’s rights.
The gathering held in Tudela de Duero brought months of work to a close and highlighted the collective learning generated by the participating schools.
