The Navy seeks the collaboration of schools to raise the profile of the 'Juan Sebastián de Elcano'

The Navy, committed to education and research, continues its cycle of video conferences with schools, focusing now on the recently initiated XCVI Training Cruise of the 'Juan Sebastián de Elcano'.

Last November, the Navy inaugurated a series of video conferences with different educational centers. This programme, which has been running for three years now, seeks to share the objectives and work of two of its most emblematic ships: the Oceanographic Research Vessel "Hespérides" and the Training Ship "Juan Sebastián de Elcano".

On Saturday the 13th of January, the "Juan Sebastián de Elcano" began its XCVI Training Cruise from Cadiz. On board, 82 midshipmen from the 426th promotion of the General Corps and 156th Marine Corps embarked on a voyage of almost seven months, with stops scheduled over the next few months in Las Palmas, Fortaleza (Brazil), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Manzanillo (Mexico), San Diego (USA), Balboa (Panama), New Orleans (USA), Boston (USA), London (United Kingdom) and Marín, where the midshipmen will disembark at the Naval Academy on the 12th of July. A total of 10 stopovers before returning to their port of departure on the 21st of July. During the 143 days of sailing, they will cross the Atlantic, go up the Thames and Mississippi rivers, and cross the Panama Canal twice, offering the future Navy officers a unique and formative experience.

This cruise, in addition to serving as a floating school, continues with the research and observations of the project "Climate change observatory on board the school ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano". In collaboration with scientists from the University of Cadiz (UCA) and the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy, observations will be made of the thermal structure of the ocean, sightings of cetaceans and measurement of ocean characteristics in the Gulf of Mexico.

The previous video conferences held with the "Hespérides" have been warmly welcomed by the participating educational centers, with the Planeta Prize winner Javier Sierra as a collaborator in one of them, who connected the ship with his former school "Las Viñas" in Teruel.

The Navy, aware of the importance of these initiatives, invites schools interested in participating in future video conferences with the "Juan Sebastián de Elcano" to send their applications or requests to the e-mail address comunicacion@fn.mde.es.

With these actions, the Navy reaffirms its commitment to education and outreach, connecting students, especially those far from the sea, with the exciting world of navigation and marine research.