Image from the project selected in the 5 VET Knowledge Transfer Awards.
The project “Raíces en Femenino”, developed by students from IES Luces in Asturias, a FPEmpresa member centre, has been selected as one of the good practices presented at the 2nd Audiovisual Literacy Conference, organised by the Ministry of Education and the Spanish Film Academy under the title “From spectators to creators: visual literacy in the classroom”. The initiative was presented during a round table held in Madrid on 29 April, after being identified by the Ministry itself through the video created by the team.
The project was created as part of the 5th edition of the VET Knowledge Transfer Awards, promoted by FPEmpresa and Esprinet, in response to a twofold challenge: the progressive loss of rural knowledge and the limited visibility of women as transmitters of that knowledge. Based on this reflection, the students developed a proposal that integrates sustainability, gender equality, audiovisual communication and Agricultural Vocational Education and Training.
“Raíces en Femenino” was developed by six students from different Higher VET cycles in the agricultural field — Forest and Natural Environment Management, Landscaping and Rural Environment, and Livestock Farming and Animal Health Assistance — who worked together on the design and development of the initiative.
From the classroom to the institutional sphere
Gloria Costeja, a teacher at IES Luces, took part in the round table, where she presented the project’s audiovisual production alongside other invited professionals. The meeting was attended by Abelardo de la Rosa, Secretary of State for Education; Teresa Font, member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Film Academy; and María Dolores Bueno, Director General for Educational Innovation and Organisation of the Principality of Asturias.
The initiative by IES Luces combines the creation of a digital resource platform, the production of audiovisual content, dissemination through social media and the organisation of in-person workshops at the centre. Through these actions, students collect and share traditional knowledge from rural areas, such as farming practices, livestock care and seed preservation, highlighting the knowledge passed down by women.
Student involvement has been complete throughout all stages of the project, from defining the problem to recording, editing content and designing the dissemination strategy, integrating the different specialities of agricultural VET in a collaborative project applied to a real-life context.
Among the main objectives of “Raíces en Femenino” are making the role of rural women more visible, preserving traditional knowledge, promoting gender equality — especially in relation to SDG 5 — and reinforcing the value of Vocational Education and Training as a space for innovation and intergenerational learning.
The project aims to generate both educational and social impact, encouraging student reflection and contributing to knowledge transfer between generations. It was also created with the intention of ensuring continuity and being replicated in other VET centres.
Author(s): The Association of Vocational Training Centres, FPEmpresa, Communications Team (Institutional publication)