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1. Innovation in formal education

2. Fostering innovation through non-formal and informal learning and youth work

Innovation in formal education

The Organic Law of Education (Ley Orgánica de Educación, LOE), establishes "advancement and promotion of research, experimentation and educational innovation" among the guiding principles of the education system, and establishes that the educational Administrations will promote research and innovation programmes. It also recognizes the relevance of the teachers’ work in the field of innovation, as well as the need to have means and incentives for educators. Later the LOE, LOMLOE had to implement online learning by COVID-19. Therefore, this experience served to drive and accelerate changes in education.

In turn, this organic law understands as an indispensable pillar the creation of unified bases of knowledge, to build a common knowledge and a scientific knowledge to achieve greater quality in education (key competences), as well as in inclusion.

The key competencies are the objectives set out in the organic law which are:

• Competence in linguistic communication
• Multilingual competence
• Proficiency in mathematics and science, technology and engineering
• Digital Competition
• Personal, social and learning skills
• Citizen Competence
• Entrepreneurial competence
• Competence in cultural awareness and expression

There is no hierarchy between these competencies, they are transversal and develop codependently.

The National Center for Innovation and Educational Research (Centro Nacional de Innovación e Investigación Educativa (CNIIE), is the institution from where the main innovation projects ( Proyectos de innovación) in national Education are implemented. The Autonomous Communities also legislate and define innovation projects in Education. In all these regulatory provisions, both at the national level and at the sub-national level, the contents and pedagogical methods are established.

In 2019 took place the Francisco Giner de los Ríos Prize for the improvement of educational quality (Francisco Giner de los Ríos Award for the Improvement of Educational Quality), rewarded the teaching work to develop the individual and social capacities of the students, enabling personal, social and environmental knowledge, the development of their autonomy and the acquisition of living values and skills that benefit from the development of instrumental learning, especially in the development of key skills and skills that facilitate the incorporation into the professional and social world.

Currently, the National Educational Experiences Inspirational Learning Awards are given. These awards are of interest to the Open Educational Resources (REA) and the use of technology.

Fostering innovation through non-formal and informal learning and youth work

Among the main educational innovation programmes and projects in the non-formal and informal field is the Scientific Culture Project (Proyecto Cultura Científica)  for the promotion of scientific culture and the development of people's analytical capacity. The project is managed by the National Center for Innovation and Educational Research (CNIIE) (Centro Nacional de Innovación e Investigación Educativa, CNIIE)  and had a budget of €90,000 in 2017. Currently, there are several projects in the CNIIE, such as multiple literacy, which aims to deepen language learning as well as digital language learning. It aims to converge two topics of current interest, reading and writing learning with digital skills.

There is also the educational support, which helps students that may require greater difficulties, late incorporation, school history, personal abilities, etc. This project seeks to achieve the general objectives for all students.

In addition, there is also the one of Coexistence, Innovation and Diversity, in which it is intended to help in the coordination of cultural and ethnic diversity, with special interest in gypsy culture. Another of the projects is Eurydice España (REDIE), which supports and coordinates the decisions of the design of educational policies at national, regional and European level.

Finally, the Foreign Languages project aims to help in the teaching of languages, especially in bilingual education. To achieve this objective, it proposes internships abroad, research work, good educational quality, etc.

The Leer.es Project (Proyecto Leer.es), whose desire is to convey to young people an enthusiasm for reading with it being understood as a positive transversal tool for their lives, is part of the Multiple Literacies Project (Proyecto Alfabetizaciones Múltiples).

The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (El Ministerio de Educación y formación profesional) through leer.es (Proyecto Leer.es), a portal of educational resources, has carried out several projects that continue to this day. One of them is creative writing (Escritura creativa) in the classroom, two didactic guides have been created to manage writing workshops in the classroom. Another project is "Las Sinsombrero", which uses different communication platforms (from social networks, television to paper publications) in order to learn about the fundamental role of women during the generation of 27. There is also the project "Scratcheando" which seeks to combine reading and digital literacy, this seeks to facilitate the work of teachers while helping them to make a change in their methodology, also to give another more updated vision of reading to students. In addition, there have also been projects that integrate participation in networks, such as the collective writing project in social networks (#Microleeres), from 2018 to 2022 there has been a day of women writers on Twitter.

Another medium they have used for the dissemination of their projects is the podcast, through the project "Otra onda" they have created 7 chapters on various interesting subjects.

Some Autonomous Regions, within the framework of non-formal education programmes, develop key skills development programmes such as social and citizen skills, cultural and artistic competences, aimed at citizens aged 16 and over. For its part, the Youth Institute (INJUVE)  (Instituto de la Juventud, INJUVE),  carries out numerous initiatives in the field of non-formal education, such as the Young Talent Programme (Programa Talento Joven) and the Young Creation Program (Programa Creación Joven), it has launched grants for 2023/24 (Ayudas Injuve 23/24) for young people between 30 and 35 years old who want to develop in different fields such as: visual arts, performing arts, music, literature, design, comics and illustration. A project must be submitted and the grant ranges from €3,000 to €10,000. On the other hand, they have also launched a program called “Espacios de ensayo 2023” to help young people and companies to carry out their research in a more artistic environment.

Other initiatives are the Injuve Awards for Journalism and Communication (Premios Injuve de Periodismo y Comunicación), Injuve grants for young creation (Ayudas Injuve para la Creación Jóven), young researchers (Certamen jóvenes investigadores), etc.