The joint work between the macro-unit of the university and the educational establishment has involved students and academics of the University, as well as schoolchildren, parents and guardians, teachers and school administrators.

Two important activities were carried out during a work day at the San Martín de Porres School in La Serena, by students and academics from the Kinesiology and Computer Engineering courses of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of La Serena, aimed at addressing aspects related to ergonomics and digital literacy.

During the morning, students and academics from the Kinesiology major went to the establishment located in the Las Compañías sector to hold a talk, with which they gave the more than 40 members of the team of school teachers their knowledge to help them detect and prevent postural problems in schoolchildren.  

“The activity carried out aims to educate and train teachers and administrators of the establishment in matters of Ergonomics, active breaks, postural care in the workplace and care of the spine,” indicated the director of the course, Mg. Alfredo Gary.     

In this regard, Roberto Cuellar, social worker and coordinator of the collaboration project on the part of the establishment, indicated that "in this particular activity the idea is to make our teachers aware of the most appropriate postures and movements so that they can reduce physical load and reduce the level of stress, through specific exercises and appropriate techniques recommended by specialists.”

As the professional pointed out, This talk corresponded to an introductory action for the workshop on ergonomics that, starting in December, the ULS Kinesiology students will give to the establishment's teachers.   

Meanwhile, the afternoon was chosen to begin the “Digital literacy workshop” for parents and school officials, by final year students of Computer Engineering who are studying the subject “Computer Science and Society” and who were trained in the Facilitators Course developed by Intel Learn and executed by the Center for Educational Computing of the ULS, within the framework of the objectives and actions of the Intel Informer Chile Community Digital Inclusion Program.

The dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Dr. Gustavo Labbé, recalled that these initiatives are part of an agreement signed in December and executed with great success during these months. "In order to carry out these projects, teams of collaborators are needed and, in this case, we find a school with a young governing body, very committed to the educational work of its students."

For his part, the director of the San Martín de Porres School, Wilson González, valued the work of the coordinators of this joint work: Alfredo Gary (ULS) and Roberto Cuéllar (SMP School). “We have been able to materialize 100% of the races, they have been present here in our establishment with different activities. This morning, the 45 teachers of the establishment were trained in the area of ​​prevention, postural medicine, which was taught by the Kinesiology degree,” mentioned Wilson González. 

“We also have Nursing, who has been constantly visiting us, evaluating both officials and students and developing prevention talks and has been very motivating. Also Dentistry, which is training prevention monitors in the area of ​​oral hygiene. The same kinesiologists are supporting a team of outstanding athletes from the school in weightlifting, this weight sport that is very complicated and requires a very careful analysis of the biomechanical part and, with the latest generation machines and equipment that The University has, these kids have been evaluated and have already improved their performance. That in just nine months. This is the first year of four that are planned,” she stressed. 

“The impact is not only with the professionals we work with and the students, but also with the community: parents, guardians, the environment, the institutions. And they have joined,” González added.