Together with the collaboration of Municipality of Coslada, teachers and students of the URJC have developed this pioneering project, the development of a "Legal literacy guide for adults in easy reading", through a URJC Apprenticeship-Service Project (ApS). It is a query tool which is made available to the older people to manage your legal doubts, with consultation tools for understand such technical language and, sometimes complicated, what is the legal. In this way, it is intended "provide greater autonomy to older people to manage their legal doubts", according to Charo Arroyo, Councilor for Social and Senior Services of the Coslada City Council.
On March 20, the presentation of this project in Department of Social Services of Coslada (Madrid). This event was attended by Mr. Javier Ramos López, His Excellency. Rector of the URJC, Mr. Ángel Viveros, mayor of Coslada, and Charo Arroyo López, Councilor for Social and Senior Services Township. Besides, Onda Cero Coslada was in charge of interviewing those responsible to release more details about the project. Likewise, during the presentation ceremony the students of the URJC participating in the project they explained the contents of the guide and resolved the queries of the people attending, members of the municipal senior centers.
This interdisciplinary project is coordinated from the Repair Shop University of Learning Service (ApS) of the URJC and the professors of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities María del Valle Rico and Mónica Garrié-Faget (Drawing area), and professors at the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences Marta Albert Márquez and Alfonso Vicente Lorca, who direct and coordinate, respectively, the URJC Legal Clinic and Professor Rocío Samino García (Faculty of Business Economics Sciences), director, Besides the URJC University Service Learning Office.
As well students have played a fundamental role in the development of this guide. In addition to FCJP students, through the Legal Clinic, two students from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities have joined the project, making his Final Degree Project using the ApS methodology, together with the two professors of the Faculty cited. Thus, the project has successfully integrated students from different specialties, dividing tasks according to knowledge, among which were find out what legal and legal needs the elderly residents of the municipality of Coslada have, el development of the content of the guide and its subsequent layout. It is precisely in the last two points, in which the FAH students have participated.
These are, specifically, the students Ángela Montero Prieto (Degree in Comprehensive Design and Image Management) y Cristina Gutiérrez Pareja (Double Degree in Comprehensive Design and Image Management and Fine Arts). Cristina explains the reasons for his choice: “We were a little lost with the topic of the TFG and this project came up about which they informed us little by little and it sounded interesting. In addition, we consider that it was very useful for other people”. As for his implication in the project, “Our role has been the presentation of the entire text itself and the Legal Sciences students have been in charge of the content”, clarifies Ángela. He also adds that “We both had a certain professional background when it came to editorial design. Although in this case it is enriching, since you work with the people who are going to read your guide and those you want to benefit from your work.” Therefore, “If you do not want to give such an individual approach to your work and are looking for a more innovative topic, this option is a good method to develop a TFG”, they declare.
Service-Learning was born as a dialogue between the University and social needs. In this case, the connection established between the University and society is reflected in the participation, including, of the Coslada City Council, through the collaboration of the Youth Area and the Area of Social and Senior Services. In this way, for the execution of this project Workshops have been given to bring the concepts closer to the participants. All teachers have participated as tutors in the ApS guide, advising continually to the students involved, while Both were in constant contact with the beneficiaries and the collaborating entity..
From the Faculty of Arts and Humanities we congratulate the teachers and students who have been involved in the execution of this project.
- Photograph 1: presentation of the Guide
- Photograph 2: students Cristina Gutiérrez Pareja, Ángela Montero Prieto (Faculty of Arts and Humanities) and students Viggo Peñalva González and Jaime Mejías Vivancos.
Text: Helena Domínguez and Eva G. Gutiérrez