Month: April 2019

Projects from Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Egypt and Palestine win the LSdreams 2019 international pre-university competition

The winning projects provide solutions to social problems through innovation in the fields of engineering, business management, health, architecture and life and earth sciences.

Barcelona, 09 April 2019. The winners of the 9^th edition of the LSdreams competition have been announced. The competition is an initiative by La Salle Universities and is open to pre-university La Salle educational centres in Europe and the Middle East, for 16 to 20 year olds. This year it has rewarded proposals from Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Egypt and Palestine. La Salle Bilbao was a particular highlight, having won in two categories, the First Prize and the ASSEDIL Prize. The main goal of the awards is to promote ethical values in research projects aimed at social improvement of their immediate surroundings. The winning projects deal with topics such as motorcycling safety, digital security, renewable energies, social integration, social services and health and welfare.

Another aim of the competition is to encourage young people to be sensitive to and to reflect on the moral and ethical implications of the five areas of knowledge our organisation deals with. The projects submitted must aim to improve their immediate surroundings with innovative research and development projects in the fields of architecture, engineering, health, business management and life and earth sciences.

In this year’s edition, the competition has awarded six first-place prizes, one ASSEDIL award, one extraordinary LSdreams award and four second-place prizes.

• In the field of Collaborative Projects, the First Prize and Extraordinary Prize were awarded to the ULTRAVISION group from the Saint-Michel Fransiz Lisesi centres in Istanbul (Turkey) and to La Salle Beit Hanina in Jerusalem (Palestine). The teams were made up by Eda Güçhan, Şila Polat, Asli Ünlüer, Jennifer Fairhurst and Amro Imad Sinokrot, Omar Khaldon Abu Saoud, Jennifer Dakkak Fairhurst, and the tutors Milena Kuyumciyam and Amer Qaysi.

As part of the same project category, a second-place prize has been awarded to the Highway to Health team by groups from: La Salle Barcelos in Barcelos (Portugal) and La Salle Palencia (Spain). The teams were made up by Ana Catarina Martíns Araújo, Diana Sofia Borges Fonseca and Sara Margarida Antunes Gomes, and the tutors José Correis Roque and David Saura López.

• In the field of Engineering, the First Prize was given to the group from La Salle Barcelos School (Portugal) for the “Body Bubble” project. The team was made up by the students José Nuno Correia Campos, Hugo José Campos Martins and Pedro da Silva Pereira, and their tutor José Eduardo Correia Roque.

This project consists of a full body inflatable suit for motorcyclists, which provides full body protection and is activated in just milliseconds, preventing injury and death. This suit is able to inflate in a matter of milliseconds, just like an airbag. However,it could protect all important parts of the driver’s body, such as the spine, neck and even the thorax. Unlike similar existing products, this project provides full body protection, including a connection to the helmet and stabilisation of the lower part of the body.

The jury has also awarded a second-place prize to the group from Collège Saint-Marc of Alexandria (Egypt) for its project “SQRband: Virtual Smart Keychan”. The team consists of Kyrollos Youssef, Mohammed Amr and George Gabriel, and their tutor Ihab Ghobrial.

The project is based on the creation of a secure digital key fob stored on a wristband or other electronic device. It automatically opens doors, enter accounts or validate payments using a wireless connection. It can also be used to replace national identity documents and passports. All data is stored and transmitted securely using our implementation of the RSA protocol with additional security measures to prevent hackers from stealing useful data.

• In the field of Architecture, the Jury has awarded the First Prize to the group from St. Joseph Fransiz Lisesi School in Istanbul (Turkey) for their project: “Zephyr wall”.  The team is made up by the students Irem Duru and Karya Erdoğan and their tutor, Laurent Chapdelaine.

This project is based on a fin wall connected to a converter that transforms the kinetic energy of wind and solar energy into electricity.

The jury also decided to award a second-place prize to the La Salle Beit Hanina group (College des freres – Beit Hanina) in Jerusalem (Palestine), for their project “Syning”. The team consists of the students Zein Zamamiri, Salma Abu Hummos and Rami Copty and their tutor Amer Qaysi.

The project aims to document, draw, research and propose a plan to develop an old building to make it modern, ecological, energy generating and beneficial to the local community. This building is located on one of the oldest and most famous streets in the city, on the outskirts of the old city of Jerusalem.

• In the field of Business Management, first place and the ASSEDIL prize was awarded to the group from La Salle Bilbao (Spain), for their “Social Empathy site” project. The team is made up of the students Idoia Gondra Pérez, Arrate Jace Izaguirre and Itziar Arrillaga Gonzalez, and their tutor Martxeli Mugica Jauregui.

Faced with the growing global trend of human migration including children and adolescents, difficulties arise as they adapt to schools in the welcoming countries. Because of their different levels of education, and in order to help include pupils and families, Empathy site has launched its project based on two pillars: a network to help welcome these migrants and a network to provide socio-educational support. This network is led by an open group of pupils, former pupils, parents and educators who receive immigrant pupils and families at their social enterprise.

The jury has also decided to award second-place prize in this category to the group from the San Juan Bautista school in Los Corrales de Buelna (Spain), for their project “Efficiency in the HR department”. The team is made up by Joana Herrero Santana, Andrea Merino San Segundo, Tania Garcia BouBoulis and their tutor Diana Ortiz Ruiz.

Bearing in mind that modern theories recognise the importance of efficient management of Human Resources, we know that in most companies the department responsible is saturated by bureaucratic administrative tasks, even having to resort to outsourcing such tasks to free up resources. This is why they wanted to find a more economically efficient alternative to allow the HR department to take on tasks that really add value to the company.

• In the field of Health, the First Prize was given to the group from La Salle Jerusalem (Palestine) for their project “Eduevolution”. The team consists of students Issam Shihabi, Christine Yousef Sabat and Omeros Samara and their tutor Afif George Amireh.

As Palestinian Jerusalemites, they face a variety of structural challenges and discriminations in their daily lives, from the challenges within their own Palestinian society to the challenges imposed on them by the occupation. Their neighbourhoods have little access to basic social services, unemployment rates are high and opportunities are limited. They also face social pressures within the Palestinian community; they are expected to conform to an image of what it means to succeed, which is often narrowly defined by material wealth, marriage and starting a family.

The jury has also awarded a second-place prize in this category to the group from La Salle Cordoba School (Spain), for its project “Bringing borders closer”. The team is made up of students Angela Miño Calero, Rebeca Sosa Lozano and Marta Garcia de Viguera and their tutor Rocío del Pilar Rodríguez Torres.

This project consists of the creation of booklets in three languages (Spanish, English and French) that will be sent to various underdeveloped countries. Based on basic hygiene information and exercises or games beneficial to physical health. There will be plenty of photographs and drawings for third world children and adults to help them understand. They are trying to solve the problem of misinformation in these countries by providing information they consider basic to their health and well-being.

• In the field of Life and Earth Sciences, the Jury has decided to award First Prize to the group from the Saint-Marc School in Alexandria (Egypt), for their project “Phyto-épuration”.

The team consists of the students Marc Bondoly, Ahmed Hamdy and Pierre Bahgat, and their tutor Samy Medawar.

This project is based on using natural bacteria found in the root system of plants to purify water. Bacteria that need oxygen and do not emit odours that “eat” organic matter. They transform them into a mineral material that plants can assimilate. In return, it will provide water to the bacteria through their roots.

The jury has also awarded a second-place prize to the group from La Salle Bilbao (Spain), for their project “Natura”. The team consists of the students Ane Yagüe Viciola, Irati Alcubilla Tamayo and Itziar Arriaga Ruiz de Velasco, and their tutor Garbiñe Ibañez Canton.

Theirs is a project created by students to turn their school into an agent of change, a resilient school in their city, to work together to create a city for the people: open spaces with good air quality, low noise levels and no heat islands. Its value proposition focuses on uniting the need for environmental improvement with the social inclusion of groups based in their neighbourhood. It is an integrative, inclusive project.

The winning teams, in each of the areas of knowledge proposed by the organisation, will travel to Rome on 25, 26, 27 and 28 April 2019 to collect their prize.

About LSdreams

LSdreams is organised by La Salle Universities, the network of international Lasallian universities composed of seven European university centres: UniLaSalle Beauvais, Ecole Catholique d’Arts et Métiers (Lyon), Groupe ESAIP Enseignement Supérieur (Angers), La Salle Mounier (Paris), La Salle Campus Barcelona-URL, La Salle Campus Madrid and Open University La Salle (UOLS).

Press: La Salle Campus Barcelona-URL 
Elisa Álvarez 
T. 93 290 23 86 
M. 649 29 46 95 
elisa.alvarez@salle.url.edu

Contexte de départ. Tout le monde s’accorde à dire que seule la pratique d’une langue en permet l’acquisition. Or, force est de constater que les élèves des établissements francophones du Liban, plus exactement la majorité d’entre eux, ne communiquent en français qu’en classe de français. Même là, la communication est minimale puisque les 6 ou 7 périodes hebdomadaires consacrées à l’apprentissage de cette langue sont en fait consacrées presqu’exclusivement à l’apprentissage de la grammaire, de l’orthographe, des genres et des types de textes. Où donc et quand ces élèves peuvent-ils pratiquer cette langue qu’ils apprennent ? C’est dans ce contexte qu’est née l’idée de transformer l’établissement en un environnement francophone où tout se dit en français, depuis les affichages et les circulaires jusqu’aux leçons de math et de sciences en passant par celles de géographie, de chant et de théâtre.

Démarrage du projet._ En mai 2015, trois établissements lasalliens du Liban ont accepté de s’engager dans un projet proposé par le CPLL et qui avait pour principal objectif de faire de ces établissements, en trois ans, des environnements francophones. De mai à juillet 2015, le projet a été finalisé dans ses grandes lignes et le budget en a été assuré grâce à l’implication des établissements eux-mêmes, au soutien de l’Institut des Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes et de l’Œuvre d’Orient. Il a démarré en septembre 2015 et a été clôturé le 20 mars 2018. Cependant, ce projet a donné naissance à un partenariat lasallien franco-libanais qui perdure et ne cesse de se développer d’une année à l’autre.

Les grands axes du projet

1. Enseigner la géographie en français à partir du CE1 (ou EB2).
2. Instituer une heure hebdomadaire consacrée au théâtre et au chant en français.
3. Instituer régulièrement, en entente avec un établissement lasallien de France, des séances d’échanges virtuels via Skype entre les groupes classes.
4. Inscrire à des cours de langue tous les enseignants des disciplines non linguistiques (math, sciences, sport, etc.) qui en expriment le besoin et leur assurer des séjours d’immersion linguistique dans les établissements lasalliens de France.
5. Favoriser la lecture et la documentation en français en développant les Centres de documentation et en y assurant une animation motivante.
6. Organiser en juillet une colonie francophone de jour.

Résultats chiffrés obtenus en 3 ans

1. Dans chacun des 3 établissements concernés, 102 périodes de géographie et de 102 périodes de chant et de théâtre ont été assurées en français à chaque promotion d’élèves du CE1 (ou EB2) à la 6^e (ou EB6).
2. 8 séances d’échanges virtuels ont été organisées avec des groupes d’élèves de France.
3. 21 enseignants ont profité chacun de 3 semaines de séjour linguistique et professionnel en France.
4. 58 enseignants des disciplines non linguistiques ont obtenu le diplôme DELF-B2, diplôme certifiant du niveau de langue requis pour enseigner en cette langue.
5. 4 enseignants ont obtenu le DELF-C1 et 6 ont passé avec succès le concours de correcteur DELF.
6. Plus de 120 élèves ont obtenu leur DELF A2.

D’autres résultats

1. Aux yeux des élèves, le français est associé à des moments agréables et à l’épanouissement personnel. Il est de moins en moins vu par les garçons comme une langue dévirilisante.
2. Cette langue est davantage présente dans l’établissement et les élèves participent davantage aux activités francophones, notamment celles organisées par l’Institut français de Beyrouth.
3. Il y a davantage de collaboration entre les enseignants de français et ceux des autres disciplines.
4. Les démarches entreprises dans le cadre de ce projet ont permis aux 3 établissements susmentionnés d’obtenir le LabelFrancÉducation.
5. Ce projet a intensifié la collaboration d’une part entre les établissements lasalliens du Liban qui y sont impliqués et, d’autre part, entre ces établissements et l’Institut français de Beyrouth.
6. Ce projet a favorisé l’institution d’un véritable partenariat avec les établissements lasalliens de France. Ayant senti l’effet hautement bénéfique des échanges entre leurs éducateurs, mais aussi entre leurs élèves, les responsables lasalliens des 2 côtés de la Méditerranée s’engagent de plus en plus dans ce partenariat comme le montre ce tableau.

	Accueil de Lasalliens libanais en France	Accueil de Lasalliens français au Liban
2015-16	7 éducateurs des 3 établissements engagés dans le projet initial
2016-17	7 éducateurs des mêmes 3 établissements	Le directeur du Pôle éducation de France accompagné de 5 chefs d’établissements
2017-18	10 éducateurs de 6 établissements lasalliens différents	7 éducateurs provenant de 5 établissements différents
2018-19	-8 éducateurs de 5 établissements-1 groupe d’élèves de 2de du C. du Sacré Coeur	6 éducateurs provenant de 4 établissements-1 groupe d’élèves de 4e (EB8) de St Laurent-Blain
2019-20	Prévisions :-10 éducateurs de 6 établissements différents-2 groupes d’élèves du C. Notre Dame et du C. du Sacré Cœur	Prévisions :-Nombre d’éducateurs pas encore précisé-1 groupe d’élèves de 1re de St Joseph-Pruillé le Chétif

Samir Hoyek-Chef de projet, Liban

Text version (English) – Versión texto (Español) – Version texte (Français)

The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools communicates and laments the death of our Brother Paul McAuley, who was found dead on Tuesday, April 2, at the Intercultural Student Community “La Salle” in Iquitos, Peru, where he worked for more than 10 years.

Brother Paul McAuley, president of the Loretana Environmental Network and advisor to the Peruvian Amazon Student Organization, was a well-known defender of the environment, fully identified with the reality of the Loreto Region and the problems of Indigenous Peoples. He was born in England in 1947. He moved to Peru in 1995 and, from the beginning, he was incarnated in various works in favor of the neediest in Lima, Moyobamba and Iquitos.

We have been informed that the Peruvian authorities are investigating the circumstances of his death. We are waiting for more information.

We feel united with the Peruvian church, with the Bolivia–Peru District and with all the Lasallians.

May he rest in peace!

Brother Jorge Gallardo de Alba, F.S.C.
Vicar General

On Sunday, 31 March 2019, in the splendid Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Valletta, the process of beatification and canonization of Brother Louis Camilleri, FSC, began.

 Brother Louis was born in Zurrieq, Malta on 1 September 1923. When was 17 he entered the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Beziers, France for the postulancy, novitiate and scholasticate. On Easter Sunday 1948 he pronounced final vows and returned to Malta and De La Salle College, Vittoriosa.

In July 1971, he moved to Stella Maris College, Gzira, where, the following year, he was appointed Sub Director. In early 1980 he was named provincial for Malta. Later on he founded the Malta branch of “Signum Fidei” and was moderator for this branch until the end of his life on 29 May 2011.

The reputation for holiness, which Brother Louis already possessed in his lifetime, has been spreading ever more since his death. The servant of God already has a multitude of devotees not only in Malta, but also in other countries where the Brothers of the Christian Schools dedicate themselves to the ministry of human and Christian education.

Brother Louis’ great love for the young to whom he devoted his whole life, his numerous good works, his unlimited trust in Providence, and his great virtues  have aroused the admiration of all those who knew him and have attracted young people to be part of his religious institute.

The canonization of Brother Louis will help to keep alive his spirit of service to young people and will serve as an example and model for those who seek a way to give meaning to their lives.