The activities planned for the 2025-26 academic year within the “Geocentros” educational project are outlined below:
1- Development of new “EDUSITIOS” (educational sites)—a concept analogous to “geosites”—which will serve as educational locations that other schools can visit. Examples include the murals at the schools in Castañar de Ibor and Villar del Pedroso.
2- Compilation of activities for a future book of educational exercises.
3- Creation of activities to be hosted at the Geopark’s Interpretation Centers.
4- Field activities and/or educational workshops for families during “School Week,” designed to enable students to share their knowledge with their families.
5- A “Geopark” subject taught at the I.E.S. Roso de Luna secondary school in Logrosán, including an interpretive tour of the Guadarranque syncline.
6- Development of new publications, with plans to submit both these and existing works for regional and national awards.
7- Continuation of the project to produce and print the “Stories to Discover and Understand the Geopark” series (four volumes have already been published).
8- On-site workshops led by Geopark staff, providing technical support for teachers and facilitating activities for students.
9- Design and development of new didactic units and activities, including technical support.
10- Design and production of new educational materials, with both technical and financial support. Highlights include the creation and 3D printing of models representing the Geopark’s key fossils—notably a model of *Cloudina carinata* (including its asexual reproduction phase and its holotype).
11- Raising awareness, disseminating information, and increasing the visibility of the Geopark through “Geocentres” (educational hubs within the Geopark). Teacher training on the Geopark concept and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
12- “I Have a Letter for You”: This activity aims to help students from different Geocentres get to know one another and build friendships by reviving the traditional practice of exchanging letters. It offers an alternative to the pervasive technology in their daily lives, while also fostering the development of reading and writing skills. The exchange of handwritten letters continues between Geocentres and as part of the international “I’m a Geoparker” program.
13- New training initiatives for the 2025/2026 academic year. Training opportunities provided through Regional Teacher Resource Centres (CPRs) to support participation in these activities. Networking with educational institutions in other Geoparks.
14- Use of a large-format metallic map and the design of thematic magnets. Development of new magnet designs.
15- “Geoconvivencia” (Geo-gathering) 2026, held in Villar del Pedroso.
16- Field trips organized by the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Extremadura (UEx)—covering Biology and Environmental Sciences—to various geosites and other points of interest.
17- Delivery of a general module on Environmental Awareness within the framework of the “Dual Vocational Employment Schools” (Escuelas Profesionales Duales de Empleo) of Extremadura, conducted within the Geopark.
18- The “Geocentres for Cultural Identity” project: A collaboration between CRA La Jara (a Geocentre in the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark) and CEIP Los Alcalá Galiano (a school located in the Sierras Subbéticas UNESCO Global Geopark, Córdoba), supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education’s “School Partnerships” (Agrupaciones de centros educativos) program. During the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 academic years, the project promotes sustainability, educational innovation, and cultural identity, helping students explore their geological, natural, and cultural heritage, compare the realities of both geoparks, and strengthen their commitment to their local communities. Through regular collaborative activities—including the exchange of handwritten letters, joint school magazines, radio programs, virtual escape rooms, and reciprocal school visits—students, teachers, families, and local communities share knowledge and effective educational practices. By fostering cooperation, intercultural learning, and community engagement, the project strengthens the educational networks of both geoparks and contributes to their long-term sustainability and conservation.
19- During this academic year, some of our “Geocentres” have established preliminary contacts with the Grutas de Palacio UGGp (Uruguay) and Vulkaneifel UGGp (Germany) geoparks, participating in online activities focused on understanding their own geopark and exploring how to share this knowledge with students from other geoparks.
20- Teacher participation in the EGN Education Working Group, the Spanish Geoparks Network’s open days, and international conferences: The Geopark aims to ensure that everyone involved with its organizations has the opportunity to engage in networking. Consequently, several teachers—recognized for their initiatives within the Geocentres—participate in EGN Education Working Group meetings. They have also traveled to attend the Spanish Geoparks Network’s open days (sometimes accompanied by students—for example, to the Orígens and Granada geoparks in 2023 and 2024) and GGN meetings (such as in Marrakech in 2024) to share best practices in education.
