Fundación Isabel Gemio holds a new multiplier event in the Representation of the European Commission in Spain’s venue to present the Erasmus+ project THE VALUE OF FACING SCHOOL

Madrid,  January 30th 2024. Fundación Isabel Gemio has organized a new multiplier event for the Erasmus+ project THE VALUE OF FACING SCHOOL, in Madrid. The Director of the Representation of the European Commission (EC) in Spain, Mr. Lucas Gonzalez Ojeda, welcomed the attendees and outlined the objectives set by the European Union in the field of education.

During the first part, the team from Fundación Isabel Gemio highlighted the social challenge posed by rare diseases, with over 30 million affected individuals in the European Union. María Romo, Director of Fundación Isabel Gemio, emphasized the need to collaborate and create synergies among all social actors to address and find solutions to these pathologies.

Behind the numbers and statistics, there are whole individuals and families who must overcome numerous difficulties in their daily lives. The Erasmus+ project THE VALUE OF FACING SCHOOL is born with the aim of helping these families in the school enrolment process, which sometimes becomes a race full of obstacles. The methodological guide and educational resources are already available on the project’s website. We invite you to visit the page and discover the techniques and activities designed for educational professionals, students, and family members, with the aim of improving inclusion and accessibility in classrooms.


In the second part, we had the testimonies of Begoña Martín, director of Federación ASEM, and Carolina Juzdado, a student of three university degrees and affected by Friedreich’s Ataxia. Begoña explained the challenges she had to overcome during her son Ismael’s schooling process, affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and highlighted that trust and respect are fundamental values in the relationship with educational institutions. On the other hand, Carolina spoke about the physical barriers she encountered in classrooms and encouraged everyone to work towards inclusion. The event ended with a round of questions addressing new avenues for collaboration and joint work in the educational context.

We want to thank the Representation of the European Commission in Spain and Mr. Lucas Gonzalez Ojeda for their collaboration and for providing us with the space to hold the event. To Begoña Martín and Carolina Juzdado for sharing their testimonies and supporting our project. Likewise, we want to thank all the attendees for joining us and for their interest in our initiative. Thank you very much!

The Erasmus+ project THE VALUE OF FACING SCHOOL is co-funded by the European Union and has the collaboration of:

  • Federación ASEM
  • Universidade de Évora
  • French Fondation Maladies Rares
  • UNIAMO
  • Parent Project APS
  • CEIP Clara Campoamor de Málaga