Project description
Bridges of Welcome in Reus: a project to facilitate the integration of newly arrived families
During the months of September to November, the city of Reus hosted the development of the Welcome Bridges project, an initiative promoted to facilitate the social and educational integration of recently arrived immigrant families.
The project has been designed with the aim of accompanying families in their first months in the city, a key period for adaptation, especially in the case of school-age children. Through a set of free activities, work has been done to promote knowledge of the Catalan language, the environment and community resources, as well as to promote the creation of social bonds.
A program structured in three areas of action
The activities have been organized into three main blocks that have allowed the reception process to be addressed in a comprehensive way:
Welcome and initial orientation
Information sessions aimed at families have been held to raise awareness of the education system, municipal services and the resources available in the city. These sessions have facilitated a first approach to the environment and have resolved common doubts upon arrival.
In addition, meetings with mentor families and guided tours of Reus have been organized, which have allowed the participants to discover the main cultural, educational and social spaces of the municipality.
Workshops of language and culture
One of the central axes of the project has been the promotion of the use of Catalan in everyday contexts. In this sense, oral Catalan workshops have been carried out with a participatory methodology adapted to the needs of families.
At the same time, cultural and intergenerational activities have been developed, such as cooking workshops, traditional games and storytelling, which have favored cultural exchange and cohesion between the participants.
Link school-family
The project has also placed special emphasis on the relationship between families and the education system. Thematic sessions on school coexistence, family participation and communication with educational centers have been organized.
Meeting spaces have also been created with professionals from the educational field and with other families, fostering trust and involvement in school life.
Project results
The project has had the active turnout of more than 25 families, that have attended regularly at the activities programmed.
Among the main results, it is necessary to excel the improvement of the oral competence in Catalan of the persons participating, as well as an increase of his turnout at school and community activities.
Likewise, a reduction in the feeling of isolation and an improvement in emotional well-being, especially among children, has been observed, thanks to the creation of new social bonds.
OpenEurope has received a grant from the Provincial Council of Tarragona to co-finance the activity, for a total of 7,676 EUR.