Port accessA programme begins for children between the ages of 8 and 14 that will bring the Port closer to 2,500 schoolchildren a year.
With a view to creating closer bonds with the Port’s social environment, on the 20th January the Port Authority of Bilbao will commence its educational visits designed for all schoolchildren in the Basque Country so that they will learn of the historical development and the present reality of the port activity.
The visits will be held in Basque or Spanish and are aimed at schoolchildren in the 8 to 14 age group. They will take place from Monday to Friday every week during the school year with flexible times in order to try to fall in with the needs of the different schools.
The Port Authority anticipates that the programme, known as “Ezagutu Portua”, (Basque for “Know your Port”) will bring the Port closer to 2,500 schoolchildren per year. To make it easier to reach the Port facilities, the Port Authority will put on a free return bus service.
The activity is part of the competences being worked on in the schools: pupils will have an active role and will be provided with learning and fun activities, including port world-related items to work on, together with their teachers, both before and after the visits.
Different thematic areas will be dealt with – history and geography (History of the River and Port of Bilbao), types of vessels (typology and parts of a boat), maritime transport (means of transport, maritime traffic, historical and present day professions) and energy and the environment (renewable energies, measuring instruments, environmental measures).
According to the Port Chairman, Asier Atutxa, “the Port of Bilbao is highly relevant in both our economic and social lives, yet for the majority of our population it is a great unknown. That is why we want to start this educational programme with our schoolchildren not only in Santurtzi and Zierbena, where most of our activity is carried out, but also for those living in other parts of the Basque Country.”
Schools wishing to take part in this initiative should send an email to ezagutuportua@bilbaoport.es.
The programme will be completed with a second phase, starting in the spring when the Port will open for adults at weekends.
The Port’s activity provides 9000 jobs and generates 1% of the Basque Country’s GDP, and 2% of that of the Territory of Biscay. Every euro the Port Authority earns contributes to the generation of 10€ of the Basque Autonomous Community’s GDP thanks to cargo transport activities.
