The Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), a research center in the humanities and social sciences at the University of Navarra, and the Scholas Occurrentes Foundation, which Pope Francis backs, have signed the Scholas Occurrentes-UpToYou project agreement. Through this agreement, the project will promote actions aimed at education for peace, education and inclusion, emotional education, social integration and instruction in values.

The initiative aims to search for peace through truth and justice, the promotion of diversity, dialogue, respect and cooperation, participation, environmental awareness and the development of a virtuous life and integral maturation in children and young people, promoting a culture of inclusivity.

In that sense, both institutions will promote educational renewal for students, teachers, managers, officials and specialists, and innovation in educational practices in accordance with these principles and values. The project will also provide expert advice to schools affiliated with the scholas.social program and to those working on projects related to peace issues.

Improving education and community integration

ICS will participate through the Mind-Brain Group's UpToYou program, which helps teens learn about and manage their emotions. The program started as part of José Víctor Orón’s doctoral thesis and receives funding from the Caja Navarra Foundation.

UpToYou has two stages. The first consists of interdisciplinary theoretical research, which draws on contributions from neuroscience, philosophy and psychology. The second phase implements previous theoretical reflection with an educational intervention. Thus, UpToYou unites university research and secondary education, which is what Scholas also seeks to do. Since 2014, UpToYou has pioneered its implementation in Tafalla, Navarra at Pious Schools (run by the Piarist order) and has been implemented in other parts of Spain, as well as in Brazil, Cameroon and Mexico.

The Scholas Occurrentes Foundation originated in the city of Buenos Aires in 2001, under the then Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio’s initiative, currently Pope Francis. The Foundation works with schools and educational communities, both public and private, of all religious and lay confessions. It aims to transform the world into an inclusive society, improving the education and integration of communities- focusing on those with fewer resources- with the commitment of all social actors. It links schools and educational networks around the world with proposals related to technology, sports, and the arts.