Thirty students of the Universitat de València —mainly from the Faculty of Economics, Teacher Training and School of Engineering (ETSE)— are actively participating in Expojove 2025, from 26 December to 4 January, in collaboration with the Firefighters’ service of València’s city council.
This experience takes part of the training citizenship plan València +Segura, designed and executed by the Chair for a Sustainable Economic Model of Valencia and its Surroundings (MESVAL) in collaboration with València’s city council, and led by professors José Manuel Pastor and Manuela Pardo, both professors from the Faculty of Economics.
During these days, students are revitalising two playful activities designed by themselves, aimed to children. With this game, children learn how to act against different emergency situations, while they also apply acquired knowledge of their studies and develop essential skills such as communication, empathy, and teamwork.
One of the activities, “La ruleta de los riesgos” (Risks’ wheel) challenges participants to identify appropriate actions against different types of emergencies that can appear when they spin the wheel. In the second activity, they have to learn by heart the content of an emergency kit and write it on a blackboard subsequently. As an incentive, children receive a bag with a kit that contains a raincoat, a thermal blanket, a whistle, and a lantern. Then, they are encouraged to complete it at home with their families.
Students, divided into morning and afternoon shifts, are showing a great autonomy in the management of their participation. Their enthusiasm and commitment with the prevention training has been noticeable since the beginning.
The stand of València + Segura received a warm welcome on the first day, with the visit of six councillors from València’s city council and the “Fallera Major” of the city, who emphasised the importance of training youngest people in the prevention culture.
This action is framed within a wide educational programme that, in the last 3 months of 2025, has counted with more than 80 information sessions face-to-face, 60 information tents, and the training of 400 teachers, with an impact of approximately 30.000 students.
The prediction of the MESVAL Chair is to intensify these activities during 2026, consolidating, this way, the commitment of the Universitat de València with a more prepared, aware and resilient citizenship during emergencies.
From left to right, along with professors José Manuel Pastor and Manuela Pardo and students:
- Carlos Luis Mundina Gómez, councillor responsible of cleaning and waste collection (among other responsibilities)
- Santiago Ballester, councillor responsible of Trade and Markets (among other responsibilities)
- Mónica Gil, Councillor of parties
- Carmen Prades, Fallera Major of Valencia
- Marta Mercader, Fallera Major infantil of Valencia
- Jesús Carbonell, councillor responsible of Local Police of Valencia (among other responsibilities)
- Julia Climent, councillor responsible of Participation, Neighbour’s Action and Districts (among other responsibilities)
- Julio Aguado, General Director of Participation and Neighbour’s Action
- José Gosálbez, Councillor of Devesa Albufera
From left to right, along with professors José Manuel Pastor and Manuela Pardo and students:
- Juan Carlos Caballero, councillor responsible of Prevention and Fire Extinguishing and Civil protection (among other responsibilities)
- Julio Aguado, General Director of Participation and Neighbour’s Action
