Collado Villalba has welcomed 34 youths aged between 14 and 17 from Bègles (France) and the Spanish municipality, as part of the traditional summer youth exchange. The official reception took place yesterday in the Town Hall's Plenary Hall, presided over by the mayor, Mariola Vargas, and the Councilor for Childhood and Youth, Lourdes Cuesta.
During their stay, which will last until July 15th, participants will live together and engage in various cultural, educational, environmental, and leisure activities. The main objective is to share experiences, practice Spanish and French, and delve into topics of sustainability and responsible consumption.
This initiative, funded by European Erasmus+ funds and organized by the Department of Childhood and Youth for over twelve years, focuses its current edition on sustainability. The youths will learn to use audiovisual media to convey messages about environmental values.
At the welcome event, a conference was held on the Renaturalization of the Guadarrama River, followed by an informative talk on sustainability actions in Collado Villalba, led by the Municipal Environmental Education Service.
The activity program includes cultural visits to Segovia and Madrid, zip-lining, hiking, workshops at the Nature Classrooms, and cultural evenings, among other proposals.
This established initiative in Collado Villalba aims to strengthen youth mobility, intercultural coexistence, language learning, and education in values related to environmental respect and responsible consumption.
