45 individuals, 16 of whom are students at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, have been chosen to travel across the islands on the Transformative Journey Route Seven, organized by ULPGC and the University Foundation of Las Palmas. The event was attended by the university’s rector, Lluís Serra; the director of the University Foundation of Las Palmas, Alberto Cabré; and the director of the Route Seven program, Juan Serantes.
Route Seven, now in its 10th edition, aims to enhance the academic training of the participants and instil valuable skills for their future. According to Juan Serantes, the program director: “The Canary Islands are a unique and full of opportunities territory. We seek to leave a positive mark wherever we go, treating the people in the different municipalities we visit as equals.”
Furthermore, Route Seven aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by connecting young talent with world needs, such as fighting deforestation, plastic pollution, and its byproducts.
A Unique and Valuable Experience
This year, the list of applicants to participate in the initiative exceeded 900, all of them belonging to the Canary Islands as well as other autonomous communities: Valencia, Catalonia, Madrid, Galicia, Andalusia, Basque Country, among others. Young people from other countries like Colombia, Germany, and Russia also joined.
Route Seven traverses the Canary Islands, aiming for students to undergo a transformative learning where personal work and the development of skills and competencies are enhanced. “In the long term, university students who have an experience of this kind acquire the ability to make better decisions depending on what they want to dedicate themselves to professionally,” commented Serantes, who thanked the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for its support during these ten editions. “The university has been instrumental. These characteristics are necessary in any university, as this is how we can do things of this nature. The secret lies in acting with good intentions. That’s where people bring out the best in themselves.”
The rector of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Lluís Serra, described Route Seven as a project that is an absolute pride for the institution: “It drives us to look at the world from a different, multidisciplinary perspective. It’s about having students tackle the problems we currently face. Undoubtedly, we are facing a program that promotes the existence of an open university that engages with society and the environment.”
Alberto Cabré, director of the University Foundation of Las Palmas, echoed the rector’s words, emphasizing the social work that voluntary participation in a project of this calibre entails: “Life is about working in a team and making decisions. It’s not just about the experiences that students will have as volunteers, but also the memories that will last a lifetime.”
Activities in the Municipalities
The provinces of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife will host the Route Seven volunteers in various municipalities spread across the islands.
From 20 to 24 July, the municipality of Arucas in Gran Canaria will organize wheelchair-adapted hiking activities, along with cultural visits. The municipality of Antigua in Fuerteventura will hold sessions from 24 to 29 July that include coastline and microplastics cleaning. To wrap up in the Province of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the municipality of Haría in Lanzarote will feature traditional workshops and a visit to the César Manrique Foundation from 29 July to 3 August.
On the other hand, La Guancha in Tenerife will carry out actions from 3 to 8 August, including forest volunteering, a geological trail, and educational workshops. From 8 to 13 August, the municipality of Frontera in El Hierro will organize a visit to the Volcanology Centre. In Llanos de Aridane in La Palma, from 13 to 18 August, young people will hike the Tajogaite volcano trail. Finally, the municipality of Hermigua in La Gomera will host a Silbo Gomero workshop and a trekking session in the Alto del Garajonay.
