The General Director of Education Organisation, David Pablos, has announced the pilot project Tell Me Real Stories, which will begin next term in a Gran Canaria centre to promote diversity and coexistence through social media.
The Government of the Canary Islands is promoting an educational project that aims to bring the values of equality and respect for diversity into the classroom using the language of social media. The initiative, called Tell Me Real Stories, was announced this Saturday by the General Director of Education Organisation, Inclusion and Innovation, David Pablos, during his visit to the preparations for the artistic intervention by Spencer Tunick in the Vegueta neighbourhood of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The project is part of the programming for the Culture & Business Pride festival, which this year expands its reach into the educational field. Tell Me Real Stories will kick off as a pilot experience next term in an educational centre in Gran Canaria, with the intention of later extending to other centres in the archipelago.
The initiative is based on the recognition that young people's identities and relationships are largely constructed in the digital environment. Therefore, the project proposes to intervene in these spaces through education and creativity, rather than prohibition. Students will participate in creating content about diversity, respect, inclusion, identity, empathy, discrimination, overcoming challenges, and coexistence, using formats such as short videos, reels, stories, and real testimonies on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube.
The name of the project reflects its dual objective: 'Stories' connects with the audiovisual formats of social media, while 'Real' focuses on the authentic experiences and emotions of the students. The proposal aims to turn these digital codes into a pedagogical tool for social transformation, enabling students to become active agents of change in their centre and in the digital environment.
The collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the Culture & Business Pride festival reinforces the role of the Canary Islands as a territory committed to human rights and diversity. As David Pablos highlighted, the islands have historically been a space of freedom and welcome for the LGTBIQA+ community, and this legacy must also be brought into the classrooms. Tell Me Real Stories aims to bring equality into the real language of youth and turn diversity into a lively and participatory educational experience.
The announcement coincided with Pablos's visit to the preparations for GRAN SPECTRUM, the participatory work by Spencer Tunick that will take place this Sunday in the historic setting of Vegueta. The artistic intervention, which uses the body, colour, and public space, is linked to the visibility of the rights of the LGTBIQA+ community. The choice of Vegueta, the historic heart of Gran Canaria and a heritage site of great symbolic value, reinforces the message of placing diversity at the centre of history and the city.
Tell Me Real Stories is born with the intention of bringing that same message into the educational sphere, addressing the prevention of hate, bullying, cyberbullying, and LGTBIfobia through the everyday languages of students. The project aims to intervene in the digital spaces where young people spend a large part of their time, providing tools to build more respectful and inclusive relationships.
The initiative has the institutional backing of the Government of the Canary Islands, which sees education as a key tool for social transformation. According to sources from the Ministry of Education, the pilot project will serve to evaluate its impact and design a possible expansion to other centres in the archipelago in future terms. For now, the specific centre where it will be implemented and the number of students participating have not been specified.
The presence of Spencer Tunick in Gran Canaria and the support for Tell Me Real Stories send a common message: visibility is important, but it is also essential to educate so that this visibility is understood, respected, and protected. Thus, the Canary Islands consolidate themselves as a reference territory in the defence of human rights and diversity, both in the cultural and educational fields.
The project joins other initiatives of the Culture & Business Pride festival, which this year celebrates a particularly significant edition by incorporating educational programming for the first time. The collaboration between the cultural and educational sectors opens new avenues for addressing diversity from an early age, using tools that are already part of students' lives.
For the next term, it is expected that the selected centre in Gran Canaria will host workshops, campaigns, and dynamics that allow students to create their own content about diversity and coexistence. The idea is for students to become the protagonists of their own learning, using social media as a platform to express their experiences and promote respect.
Tell Me Real Stories presents itself as an innovative project that combines emotional education, digital competence, and civic values. Its participatory approach seeks to generate a real impact on the educational community, fostering empathy and inclusion through creativity. The Government of the Canary Islands is confident that this initiative can be replicated in other centres across the archipelago, contributing to building a more just and diverse society.
You may also like
