Pilar Alegría highlights collaboration between teachers as an effective tool for improving the education system

In this edition, the awards recognise the effort and excellence of the work of 32 teachers responsible for 12 educational projects.

eTwinning is a European Commission initiative that uses a digital platform to promote collaboration between teachers and pupils across the continent.

The event took place at the IFEMA fair, where the Minister also inaugurated SIMO EDUCATION 2022International Exhibition of Educational Technology and Innovation. Alegría toured the facilities, accompanied by Juan Arrizabalaga, General Manager of IFEMA MADRID, and Lola González, Director of SIMO EDUCATION, among other authorities. The National Institute of Technology and Professional Development [Instituto Nacional de Tecnologías Educativas y de Formación del Profesorado (INTEF)], a unit of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, is presenting its programmes and projects in the field of educational technology at the exhibition.

"Congratulations on your work and your efforts, which will undoubtedly be a source of inspiration and motivation for your colleagues, for the pupils in your schools and for the educational community as a whole", said the Minister at the start of the awards ceremony.

The eTwinning initiative provides educational teams with a secure platform through which schools can carry out collaborative projects with schools in different countries. It also facilitates contact between teachers from all over Europe to exchange experiences and ideas. The National eTwinning Awards are the Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Training's recognition of the best international collaboration projects carried out by Spanish teachers through the eTwinning platform.

The Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Pilar Alegría, at the award ceremony of the 2022 eTwinning National Awards

The Awards thus encourage collaboration, which is a natural lever for innovation, and are an example of how digital tools help to improve the quality of education, as the Minister pointed out. "This is why this programme has become an effective tool for changing and improving education systems on our continent", she explained.

"I would particularly like to emphasise the effort, dedication and patience shown by all teachers and professors at this time of transformation in Spain", said the Minister, referring to digitalisation and the need to "rethink the teaching and learning methods in a world in which the sources, distribution and access to knowledge are changing radically". "The 32 teachers who have received awards today are a magnificent example of this work", she concluded.

The winning projects address issues such as digital safety, healthy eating, fake news, scientific vocations and improving social and civic competences, to name but a few.

Over 700,000 teachers across Europe are registered on the eTwinning platform, including 45,128 in Spain, as well as 14,000 Spanish schools and 3,170 active educational projects.

The eTwinning initiative, promoted by the European Commission, is co-funded by Erasmus+, the European programme for education, training, youth and sport.

Mónica Domínguez García, Director General of Evaluation and Territorial Cooperation at the Ministry, Patricia del Pozo Fernández, Andalusian Minister for Educational Development and Vocational Training, and Julio Albalad, Director General of INTEF, also took part in the awards ceremony.

Non official translation