ESC: Heritage and Education, long-term volunteering in Spain

Patrimonio Santomera is a non-profit association of cultural nature, made up of professionals from many scientific branches linked to the heritage of our territory and its study, such as History, Geography, Art History, Archeology, Biology, Geology, Anthropology, Medicine, Librarianship, Computer Science, among others. The aim of our association is to generate an entity capable of bringing together the study of our heritage from two fundamental perspectives: the scientific one and the informative one. We are currently working through a series of long-and-short-term projects within the municipality of Santomera but also in its immediate surroundings as well as in the Region of Murcia. We have been developing a series of cultural and scientific activities for the socialization of our heritage, since we consider that it is necessary to transmit and make our rich monumental, archaeological, environmental, ethnographic and natural heritage closer to the population. For this, since its constitution, the association proposes a series of cultural and scientific activities to disseminate both in our municipality and in regional areas our research processes at various general and educational scales. Some of these activities are carried out in coordination with the Santomera City Council, and other entities such as associations, schools, institutes, etc. We have been working on a series of long-term projects framed within the general objectives of the association, and on which research and dissemination tasks are being carried out. As regards the direct beneficiaries of our activities, the association operates at the local level, but the repercussions of the work carried out transcend regional, national and even international scope. Both the scientific perspective and the dissemination work are associated with a general geographical area that is able to reach the majority of the areas closer to the heritage of the municipality as well as an important component directed towards tourists, which is offered from institutions and private citizens. Anyone interested in Santomera's heritage, in its multiple dimensions (archaeological, natural, ethnographic, etc.) is a beneficiary of the association's work. Considering age groups, given its nature, something very similar happens. The projects and dissemination activities carried out cover groups of different ages, since educational projects are developed with children, in primary and secondary schools of the area. We also have had the possibility to cooperate with university students, during the internship to get their degrees, and of course we also have several activities and projects that are carried out for the elderly population.