7 June was Telefónica Internaltional Volunteers Day (DIVT), an initiative of Telefónica whose aim is to promote social and digital inclusion among the most vulnerable groups. Workers and ex-workers of the organisation come together every year to contribute their knowledge, time and enthusiasm through various solidarity activities. This year, the event took place as part of the company’s main Centenary activities.
DIVT was held simultaneously in 27 countries, collaborating with 259 social entities through more than 1,250 activities. More than 21,000 Telefónica volunteers participated, of whom approximately 8,000 in Spain, impacting more than 220,000 people globally.
ProFuturo and Computational Thinking
In Madrid, the epicentre of the day, ProFuturo was present in Distrito Telefónica with the volunteers, focusing on reducing the educational and digital divide. We organised the workshop “Developing Computational Thinking in children”, in collaboration with Cápsula Cultura. The aim of this space was to encourage the development of computational thinking in 75 children in Years 5 and 6 of primary school [Years 6 and 7 in the UK] at Colegio Cristóbal Colón de Villaverde, together with teachers and volunteers, using OctoStudio a tool created by the MIT Media Lab the laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which teaches problem-solving through programming in a fun and innovative way.
The participation was organised in different parts: first, creative development, then its application in the tool to create a game to teach them how to program. It was a fun-filled day, full of excitement for the children.
José María Álvarez-Pallete, Chairman of Telefónica, Luis Prendes, Director General of Telefónica Foundation, and Magdalena Brier, Director General of ProFuturo, attended the event. Together, they demonstrated how these exercises bring technology closer to our future digital citizens, improving the quality of life and responding to the challenges of the 21st century.
More activities of the day
During the day, various activities took place, including:
- RECONNECTED workshops on digitalisation and AI with elderly people.
- ICT training for young people with intellectual disabilities.
- AI workshops for compulsory secondary education students and Spanishj Baccalaureate students at the programming campuses 42 in Madrid, Urduliz (Bizkaia), Barcelona and Malaga.
- Visits to exhibitions at Espacio Telefónica Foundation with young people and groups in vulnerable situations.
- Telephone support for lonely people.
- Environmental waste collection activities.
- Construction of 3D prostheses for people with disabilities, among others.
- Commitment to Social Progress
and much more.
At Telefónica, Telefónica Foundation and ProFuturo, we work to help build a society in which people can develop their full potential, using the transformative power of education and digital to achieve greater social progress.
We will continue to work to further empower people in the most vulnerable contexts, equipping them to face the challenges of an increasingly globalised and digital world!
#EducatingTransforms
Do you want to know more about ProFuturo’s commitment to education?
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