Clara Sáez Rodríguez, a second-year secondary school student at IES Paco Ruiz in Bigastro, won first prize in the 6th School Competition “Discover Your Region, Vega Baja del Segura” with her 3D project dedicated to the musical societies of the Vega Baja region. Her work, titled “Vega Baja Musical”, features a musical staff running across the comarca, connecting various music societies.
Each society is represented with images of instruments and musicians in 3D, accompanied by a concert backdrop and the project’s title. Clara also included a booklet with the names of all bands and informational cards highlighting that music is “more than music; it is tradition, identity, and the school where talent and passion grow.”
Clara, a band member herself, chose this theme to express the personal significance of music. She received a laptop as her prize.
The second prize, an iPad, went to Elia Torres from IES La Encantá in San Fulgencio for “La Vega Baja en el tiempo”, an electronic box that lights up to reveal drawers containing information about local museums.
The third prize was awarded to Claudia Argallero from IES Thiar in Pilar de la Horadada for her project on the region’s traditional sweets.
Adriana Liceth Del Valle from IES Antonio Serna in Albatera earned fourth place with a recycled-materials project showcasing the most important monuments across the 27 municipalities of the comarca.
Other winners included Francisco Moya from IES Paco Ruiz in Bigastro, who created “Barrios sobre ruedas”, mapping bike-friendly routes through historical neighborhoods (fifth prize); Daniils Macurs from IES La Encantá, who represented local wildlife (sixth prize); and Irene Parra from Colegio Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Orihuela, who highlighted regional crops (seventh prize).
These winners each received a tablet. Additional recognition awards with graphic tablets were given to Carmen Ballester, Marta Sánchez, and Lika Kenia for their projects on windmills, heritage, and the Vega Baja region, respectively.
The jury, including representatives from Convega, the Orihuela School of Art and Design, IES Mare Nostrum’s tourism program, and the University of Alicante, praised the students’ creativity, originality, technical skill, and ability to reflect the region’s strengths and values.
Nearly 150 works from ten schools across Albatera, Benejúzar, Bigastro, Jacarilla, Orihuela, Pilar de la Horadada, San Fulgencio, and Torrevieja were submitted, all receiving recognition for their efforts.
Bigastro’s mayor, Teresa Belmonte Sánchez, and IES Paco Ruiz director Francesc Farat emphasized the contest’s role in educating students about Vega Baja’s cultural, historical, and territorial identity. The competition is promoted by the Vega Baja Economic Development Consortium (Convega) in collaboration with the Alicante Provincial Council and the 27 municipalities of the region.
