The municipal program of School Hiking is nationally recognized by INJUVE (National Youth Institute)

The Youth Institute, an agency under the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, has included this initiative in its Catalog of Local Youth Work Experiences 2023 so that it can be replicated in other territorial areas.

The Estepona City Council informs that the Youth Institute of Spain (INJUVE), under the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, has recognized the municipal program of School Hiking as an example of an initiative that could be replicated in other territorial areas of our country.

The INJUVE has included in its latest Catalogue of Local Experiences RedSIJ of Youth Work 2023 this municipal initiative for the work it carries out with students of the city, for being a good practice and for the methodology used.

This recognition also means that the School Hiking program can be consulted by those interested in the online catalog published by the INJUVE with the 74 experiences that have been selected nationwide.

The councilman attached to the area of Heritage, Youth and Sports, Daniel Garcia, explained that for the Consistory is “a great satisfaction” that an experience that was launched since 2013 has become a benchmark for other municipalities in our country that are interested in offering initiatives of youth interest.

In that sense, he recalled that the School Hiking program was promoted to promote healthy activities among the youth population, in particular, among students of Primary and Secondary of the 17 schools in Estepona.

Garcia has indicated that the City Council offers a series of hiking trails to perform by different natural sites in the municipality and the environments of several rivers of great environmental interest. In this way, students between 6 and 17 years, approach the rich natural heritage of Estepona and value the importance of protecting its landscape, cultural and historical values, among other aspects.

The different routes, which are offered throughout the school year to the different educational centers and are always guided by two municipal technicians who interpret the route, also encourage active participation in environmental conservation, instill basic knowledge of hiking and encourage aspects related to education in values and the development of social skills.

Since this municipal initiative was launched, each year around 3,500 primary and secondary school students participate in the almost 70 excursions that take place from November to May. These routes have a medium-low level of complexity and last approximately three and a half hours.

The routes chosen by the schools have run through various natural areas of the municipality, such as the Camino de Nicola-Río Velerín-Río Castor, and the environment of Sierra Bermeja. These routes are carried out during school hours and are guided by municipal technicians, with the support of teachers from schools and institutes.

In addition to hiking, students perform various activities of interpretation of the natural environment, the study of flora and fauna, and participatory environmental games.