The initiative, jointly promoted by the Department of Sports and the Department of Education and Vocational Training, aims to encourage the introduction and knowledge of winter sports. The 2,636 participating boys and girls, from public and charter schools, will practice alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding at mountain resorts in the Lleida and Girona areas.

Sessions began in mid-December with students from the Pallars Sobirà Sports Council at Tavascan. The last group to join will be those from the Val d’Aran, where 4 schools and 178 students participate, who will bring the first athletes to Baqueira Beret on January 20.

The EBE is framed within the Catalan Winter Sports Strategic Plan and seeks to educate through sports in values such as respect and coexistence, in addition to promoting knowledge of the mountains. Since its inception in the 2013-14 academic year, approximately 12,000 children from the Pyrenees will have participated in the program, which takes place during school hours and consists of 6 to 8 sessions.

The program is considered a success by the Government of Catalonia and relies on the collaboration of the Catalan Winter Sports Federation, the Pyrenean Sports Councils, the ski resorts, and the Conselh Generau d’Aran, among other entities. The success of the EBE has been internationally recognized with several Snowkidz Awards, granted by the International Ski Federation (FIS).