• The objective of the program is to offer linguistic immersion in the context of free time activities

• Coexistence with the environment in a spectacular setting located on the banks of the Duero and Tormes rivers, bordering Zamora and Portugal

This morning in the town of Villarino de los Aires, Salamanca, the Regional Minister of Education of the Junta de Castilla y León, Rocío Lucas, and the Director of the Fundación Iberdrola España, Ramón Castresana, handed out diplomas to the first 21 students participating in an English language immersion course organized by the Fundación Iberdrola España in collaboration with Regional Ministry of Education of the Junta de Castilla y León.

The objective of this program is to offer this educational modality to students of Compulsory Secondary Education at the centers supported by public funds in the autonomous community.

The place chosen for the development of this initiative, which will host 40 students, divided into two shifts in July and August, is the Iberdrola residence next to the hydroelectric plant of Villarino de los Aires in Salamanca, a spectacular place located on the banks of the Duero and Tormes rivers, bordering Zamora and Portugal.

During the ceremony, Lucas emphasized that in addition to the hours of classroom learning, the course also covers aspects related to the environment, for which recreational activities such as canoeing or hiking are carried out, in which English is the only language used. “Access to these courses is associated with the level of academic excellence of the students. Because, as you know, we are still committed to the effort, ability, equal opportunities, and excellence, as fundamental pillars of Education”, stressed the Minister.

For his part, Castresana stressed that Iberdrola, as part of its commitment to the territories in which it operates, supports the training and transmission of knowledge, which contributes to promoting a generation of professionals with the highest capacities to face the challenges of the future, among which is the development of a sustainable energy model.

The immersion course is taught by native teachers to offer an intensive program that improves the level of English proficiency of students in the community and gives them the necessary confidence to function in the classroom and beyond. The Regional Ministry of Education has selected the schools based on their merits in teaching foreign languages and promoting internationalization, and these in turn have chosen the students based on criteria of academic excellence, especially in English as a foreign language.

The professionals of the future

In 2021, despite the pandemic, Iberdrola hired more than 5,600 people, 36% of whom are under 30 years of age. In the strategic plan for the next five years, it is planned that by the end of 2025, some 20,000 new people will have been hired. Investments of 75 billion euros will help to double renewable capacity and advance smart grids and electrification of the economy.

Furthermore, as part of Iberdrola’s commitment to excellence in training, Fundación Iberdrola España collaborates with scholarship programs of various institutions such as the Fulbright Commission, which each year calls for Iberdrola-Fulbright scholarships; the Carolina Foundation, which has a program for Mexican and Brazilian students, the Inspira II and Reactive socio-labor insertion programs; and the restoration workshops of the Museo Nacional del Prado and the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao.

The Junta de Castilla y León organizes many schools exchange and language immersion activities for students in the region to promote language learning and the internationalization of educational centers.