CiudadEscuela Muchachos (CEMU)

Since 1970, CiudadEscuela Muchachos (https://www.cemu.es/english/) has been dedicated to fostering and educating children living in situations of disadvantage and/or at the risk of social exclusion, some of whom are minors that belong to the Child Protection System of Spain. CEMU was constituted into a not-for-profit organization, Asociación Muchachos, in 1980, and was recognized as an entity of Public Utility by the Spanish Government five years later. CEMU is located in a metropolitan area of Madrid. CEMU is not only a foster care center where children in need and at risk of social exclusion have a home and a school. Since its inception, founder Alberto Muñiz Sánchez determined that the CEMU would offer children and youth an alternative to traditional foster care establishments by creating a place where they could grow free of social stereotypes and stigma, and thus facilitate a true social integration. In order to provide this integrative environment, the internal resident children coexist during the day with the 360 students who attend CEMU School, which includes preschool, primary and secondary levels, and another 50 external minors who participate in socio-educational programs for the neighborhood of Leganés, Madrid. Furthermore, the key of CEMU’s educational methodology is to empower children and youth by giving them the opportunity to run their own “boys town”. The idea of this self-governance program is to encourage self-responsibility and social cooperation amongst the children. In CEMU, children watch, teach, and emulate their peers, always under the close supervision of adults, but also in accord with the established set of rules that the community has agreed to. These may be challenged, via democratic practice, at the weekly assembly, which is also led by the elected children officers. The children citizens can always defend themselves in these public encounters, raising support from others, and presenting evidence to excuse themselves. This kind of direct judicial systems within the assembly framework encourages anyone, even the little ones, to raise their voice in public in order to claim their rights and disclose mistreatment by fellow peers. Ultimately, it is the Mayor, backed up by the municipal councilors, who make final decisions on penalties and rewards. The Mayor and councilors have been voted in every two years by all CEMU community members (this includes the internal resident children and external citizens, -both children and adults, among the latter there are employees and adult friends and supporters-). This method also creates a secure emotional atmosphere based on care and trust amongst the children and their educators, regardless of whether they are internal or external students.