Las Plazas de Europa tour stops in Andújar: a window to EU opportunities

One hundred high school students from four Andalusian schools discover first-hand the mobility and training opportunities that the EU offers them.

On March 5, 2025, the courtyard outside the Palacio de los Niños de Don Gome, in the town of Andújar, became a hotbed of Europeanism as it hosted the 19th stop of the rural tour Las Plazas de Europa, the first to be held in the province of Jaén.

This edition focused on youth with the aim of raising awareness of the benefits of being part of the European Union. With the support of the Andújar City Council, more than 100 ESO students participated in the event, coming from IES Jándula, IES Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza and IES Sierra Morena de Andújar, as well as from IES Luis Carrillo de Sotomayor de Baena (Córdoba).

The event began with an inspiring speech by Emilio José Rodríguez Rodríguez, Councilor for Youth, Environment and Sustainability of the Town Council of Andújar, who spoke about the importance of the European Union for his town.

Next, Lourdes Martínez Gómez, provincial deputy for European Funds and Geolit in the Diputación de Jaén, highlighted the opportunities that European integration brings to the province.

The central moment of the event adopted a dynamic format in which five experts shared, in consecutive sessions, different aspects of the European Union with the participants.

Lucía Herrada Arenas, a 1st year university student of Translation and Hispanic Philology, shared her Erasmus+ experiences (Finland, France, Italy and Germany), explaining how mobility can change lives. Her participation was especially valuable, because Lucía is 18 years old, just a couple of years older than the participating students, who saw embodied in her the opportunities that the EU makes available to them.

Adrian Lasa Mediavilla, Information and Communication Assistant at the European Commission Representation in Spain, presented the DiscoverEU and European Solidarity Corps programs that offer unique opportunities to travel, learn and contribute to projects throughout the EU.

Lola Cortés Biosca, technical teaching advisor at the SEPIE (Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education) Management Support Unit, explained how young people can access study programs in different countries.

Eva Touriño, EURES advisor in Jaén, provided key information on job mobility opportunities in Europe, encouraging attendees to explore the European job market once they finish high school.

Feliciano Tisera Pardiñas, Information and Communication Officer at the European Commission Representation in Spain, addressed the topic of European values, stressing the importance of understanding and defending them.

The success of this meeting would not have been possible without the support of the Town Council of Andújar, which underlined its strong commitment to the dissemination of the European project in the local community.

More information: European Comission