On November 5, the closing ceremony for the second cohort of the “Puentes al fútbol Jujeño” arbitration course took place at Penitentiary Unit No. 7. Thirty-two inmates received certificates for completing the program.
The course was a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Education’s Modality of Education in Contexts of Confinement (MECE), the provincial Secretariat of Sports and Recreation, and the Education Department of Unit 7.
Running from July to October, the course used Project-Based Learning methodology. Participants studied rules from both AFA and FIFA, practiced interpreting regulations, and focused on writing referee reports and match records. The program also aimed to develop social-emotional skills such as peaceful conflict resolution, mediation, and leadership.
Carla Torcoletti, head of MECE, stated that education “is, above all else, a way to create real opportunities.” Gonzalo Torres, coordinator for Inclusive Sport, said that “those breaks in life can become turning points that give meaning to our story.”
Athletes Francisco Maidana and Rodrigo Velázquez attended the event along with former player Franco Sosa. Maidana encouraged graduates by saying: “Opportunities come when you least expect them. That’s why you have to be alert; everything is achieved through sacrifice and discipline.”
