New Web and Image of the animal shelter La Bienvenida
Developed by students of the Higher School of Computer Science of Ciudad Real
On February 13, in the Hall of Degrees of the Higher School of Informatics, the new website of the Animal Shelter La Bienvenida de Ciudad Real was presented, which has been designed and developed entirely by students of the subject of Electronic Commerce of the Degree in Computing. This website was born after 5 months of work and as a result of a new teaching experience, in which, using a project-based learning methodology, learning has been combined with social commitment, resulting in a product that has remained in use, and that can be visited at the following web address: www.protectoralabienvenida.es.
With the new website, fully optimized for mobiles, the aim was to enhance the visibility of Protectora La Bienvenida on the web with the main objective of increasing the number of adoptions of abandoned animals. It has also been intended to facilitate the work they carry out to raise awareness about the problem of pet abandonment and to strengthen their channel of communication to society using new technologies. On the other hand, the new website tries to convey their values and publicize the importance and complexity of the work they carry out, with the aim of achieving an increase in the collaboration of society, individuals, companies and organizations, in their project. .
Generosity and involvement with society, is how this teaching experience carried out at the University of Castilla-La Mancha could be defined. The students, motivated by the subject teacher, José Jesús Castro, and contributing a lot of themselves, have been learning while developing a solidarity project for a real client with whom they have held work meetings throughout the development (Carmen Díaz and Gem Hernandez). In addition, they have had the collaboration of professionals such as Eduardo León from the digital marketing agency Bukimedia, the illustrator Juan Alarcón, the photographer Merferri and former students of the subject who have enriched the developed product and taught them to work in a more real environment. . During the development of the project, the students have found meaning in what they should learn by applying their knowledge and developing skills and abilities in an almost real work environment. With this experience they have shown that you can learn by working on a real project and developing a charitable product that in some way can be considered a contribution to improving the world. Both students and the subject teacher have shown their satisfaction with this way of working and learning, and have been very happy with what they have learned.
Finally, and as a curious anecdote around this experience, we want to tell the story of Simba, one of the shelter's abandoned animals (his name there was Cactus) whose life was changed by an "angel". Simba was a cub who was found in early December with his sister Bubble on the outskirts of Ciudad Real, completely disoriented. After being notified, the volunteers from Protectora La Bienvenida went to the place to rescue them and take them to the shelter. But there he was in danger of getting sick, since he did not have, nor could he get the first vaccinations. Ángel, one of the students who has worked on the project, knew his story and wanted to give him a foster home until he was a little older and he could return to the shelter. He talked to his three roommates and the neighbors, and all agreed, they took him out of the shelter temporarily (one or two weeks). These four computer science students did not expect that this puppy, with his affection and pampering, would win their hearts. Now Simba is definitely Angel's and a roommate of these four students, who take turns so that he is not alone for a long time and who help him meet his schedules of going out and eating. And Ángel, as he could not be otherwise, is now a volunteer for the Protectora, in charge of maintaining the website, among other things.
This is the story of Simba and Angel, you can write the story of another of the shelter's abandoned animals. We encourage you to visit the website of the Animal Shelter La Bienvenida and adopt one of her animals or collaborate with them.
Congratulations to these future computer engineers for their dedication, enthusiasm, generosity and commitment to society and of course for their professionalism demonstrated in this great work they have done.
