The Entrerríos Farm School will open its doors on February 26th, with a programme of activities designed especially for children from 2 to 15 years of age, with the aim of highlighting the natural environment, "so that children and youths from our municipality and the province can also have this contact with nature and the rural environment and work on respect for the natural surroundings", explained the councillor responsible for the Hostel Department, Silvia Marín (PP), at a press conference, who added that "we are going to work with the organic vegetable gardens we have at the hostel, with the animals, so that they can have direct contact and learn about each one's development and what they do. Today's young people have a more digital life and we want them to have this knowledge of the environment and become aware of respect for the natural surroundings". 

During the different shifts, sports, cultural and educational activities are carried out, including a wide variety of workshops: meteorology, astronomy, beekeeping, organic vegetable garden, stables, cooking, ceramics, recycling, soap, the oil process, artistic and corporal expression (theatre, storytelling, shadow puppets and mime), handicrafts, painting, fantasy make-up and stilt-walking. In addition, some of the programmed shifts include excursions to the Mijas water park, camping and ecological itineraries in the area.

'Semana Blanca' (White Week) 

The first shift will be the Semana Blanca (White Week), from February 26th to March 1st. There are 60 places on offer, plus those reserved for children in the inclusion programme, which can be requested from February 5th at 9 hours and, as in the rest of the shifts, the service is also offered to children with functional diversity. Places will be reserved by order of registration, the price is 54 euros. The children will be looked after by a team made up of monitors (1 for every 10 children), kitchen staff, cleaning, maintenance, lifeguards and auxiliary nurses. Marín pointed out that "this is a very important programme for the conciliation of families", and also stressed that "there is a great team around this initiative, so that families can rest assured that they are leaving their children in a safe environment". 

Easter and summer 

The programme is completed by the Easter Week shift, which will be from March 23rd to 27th, which, like the White Week, is aimed at children aged between 4 and 15 years old. For this one, the period for pre-registration applications will open on March 4th, and there are also 60 places available, plus those reserved for children and youths with functional diversity. The summer shifts will take place this year from June 24th to August 30th, with a total of four weekly shifts for children aged 4 to 15 years old and three eleven-day shifts for children aged 7 to 15 years old. The period to apply for places will open on May 6th.

School Encounters with Nature 

In addition to the scheduled shifts for holiday periods, for decades the hostel has maintained in its programme the School Encounters with Nature, aimed specifically at infant, primary and secondary schools in the town and the province. Schools in Mijas must apply to take part in this activity from Monday 15th of January, while schools in the rest of the municipalities can apply from the 29th of January. The meetings will take place on a single day, with around 100 schoolchildren expected to visit the facilities from 10:00 to 16:00 hours. Workshops on beekeeping, oil processing, stables, vegetable garden and cooking are offered, and breakfast and lunch are included, as well as the bus from the Mijas school to the hostel.

Except for the School Encounters with Nature, the rest of the shifts will be on an overnight stay basis. 

Inclusion programme 

The hostel has planned inclusion groups on the dates offered, aimed at youths with functional diversity, who will have their own monitors. In this case, parents should go to the office of the Hostel department to register. In this case the regime will be daytime, they will be provided with a bus service.  "We have an estimate of reaching almost 5,000 children this season", said the councillor for Hostels, "in each shift we have provided places for the inclusion project, so that children with functional diversity can enjoy like the rest, they are taught and encouraged to collaborate in groups, solidarity and teamwork", added Marín, who concluded by saying that "we hope that all children in Mijas can enjoy these activities that the Town Hall offers through the Entrerríos hostel". 

Application for inscriptions 

The application for registration can be made according to the date of each shift, through electronic registration or in person at the Mijas Town Hall and the branch offices in La Cala and Las Lagunas. If you have any questions, you can also contact the Hostel Department (Las Lagunas Theatre), on number 951 06 33 99 and email albergue.entrerrios@mijas.es.

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