Xcelence-Schools That Inspire program arrives in schools

In the Aragonese Community, training is being developed for the agents involved in the Xcelence-Schools That Inspire program, whose objective is to strengthen and improve guidance systems in educational centers. This initiative is being developed by the Department of Education of the Government of Aragon together with the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Empieza por Educar Foundation, the Ibercaja Foundation and JP Morgan.

This program is based on the Xcelence model of academic and professional orientation, developed by the Bertelsmann Foundation and inspired by international practices.

In the current phase, the coordinators of the Academic and Vocational Strategy (CEAP) and three advisors from the Innovation Center for Vocational Training of Aragon (CIFPA) are being trained to be able to deploy the entire guidance strategy. The CIFPA advisors will accompany and monitor the centers on the basis of the following actions: to dynamize and accompany the committees, to be present in the tutorials and to analyze the progress of the center together with a technician from the Fundación Empieza Por Educar.

During the training, the consultants receive training and support in the fundamentals and tools necessary to familiarize themselves with the Xcelence-Schools That Inspire project and thus be able to carry out their role.

This academic and professional orientation program is aimed, above all, at secondary school students, but also at vocational training and baccalaureate students. The program is intended to be integrated in the centers and in the ESO curricula and to be participated in by the whole educational community.

This initiative will be implemented, as a pilot, in eight centers of the Aragonese Community: IES La Azucarera, IES Luis Buñuel, IES Miralbueno, Montessori and Compañía de María, all five in Zaragoza; IES Biello Aragón and IES Martínez Vargas, both in the province of Huesca and, finally, IES Francés de Aranda, in Teruel. In each of these centers there will be an Academic and Professional Strategy Coordinator (CEAP).

After this training phase, the next phase will begin with the creation, in each center, of a guidance committee in which students, families and teachers will participate.