The Provincial Council opens the second edition of Healthy Classrooms with 85,000 euros

The Deputación de Pontevedra has opened the second edition of the “En Plan Ben: Aulas Saudables” program, which will offer up to 65 training actions on mental health in public ESO (compulsory secondary education), bachillerato, and basic vocational training centers located in municipalities with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants in the province. The call and the regulatory bases were published in the Boletín Oficial da Provincia de Pontevedra (BOPPO) on Friday, October 16, 2026, number 200, in the Local Administration section, under file 2026047910. The initiative was unanimously approved by the Xunta de Goberno of the provincial institution in the session of October 9, 2026.

The measure is framed within the provincial competencies regarding youth recognized in Law 6/2012, of June 19, on youth in Galicia, and in article 36.1.d of Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the bases of the local regime, which assigns the Deputación the cooperation in promoting economic and social development. The institution justifies the program based on the increase in mental health problems among youth and the need for a preventive approach that avoids the stigmatization of mental disorders and reduces risk behaviors among adolescents.

In the first edition, developed in 2026 through the Servizo de Xuventude e Reto Demográfico, sixteen educational centers from demographic challenge municipalities in the province participated, with more than a thousand students, as well as teachers, families, and parents’ associations (anpas). The new call extends the scope to all public secondary, bachillerato, and basic vocational training centers in municipalities with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants.

85,000 euros for 65 training actions

The maximum total amount allocated to the call is 85,000.00 euros, charged to application 27/233.2310.227.07 of the provincial Budget, subject to the existence of adequate and sufficient credit. Each “training action” consists of an integral itinerary taught in an educational center, composed of initial and final evaluations and training sessions called workshops.

The granting procedure will be non-competitive: requests will be attended to in the order of submission until the maximum of 65 actions is reached. Only one application per educational center will be admitted, and no more than one training action will be awarded to each. To guarantee the viability of the program, a minimum participation of 30 centers is required.

Workshops for students, teachers, and families

Each beneficiary center will have a group of ESO, bachillerato, or basic vocational training students consisting of a maximum of 30 people, in addition to the teachers and the guidance team and the families or anpas. After an initial diagnosis, the students will receive a 10-hour workshop in the format of interactive talks and may choose one of the five offered themes:

• Self-harm, suicidal ideation, and negative and intrusive thoughts.
• Diversity, body image, and eating disorders.
• School bullying, cyberbullying, and hate messages.
• Consequences of pornography use and other sexual violences.
• Substance use and abusive behaviors.

Teachers and guidance staff will receive a 4-hour workshop on strategies to promote emotional well-being in the classroom, early identification of risks and warning signs, early intervention tools, and referral protocols to community social services and health resources. Families and parent associations (AMPAs) will have a 2-hour intervention focused on prevention at home, assertive communication with minors, and the map of available resources in the area.

From October 26 to December 4

Applications must be submitted electronically through the procedure enabled on the Electronic Office of the Deputación de Pontevedra, which accepts Cl@ve system certificates and electronic certificates. The submission period runs from October 26 to December 4, 2026.

Centers must provide proof of representation, if a qualified certificate is not used, and a certification from the competent body with the agreement to request participation in the program and the current composition of the management team. The instruction corresponds to the head of the Youth and Demographic Challenge Service and the resolution to the Governing Board, which will make it public on the Electronic Office and the provincial website.

The program will be taught during the 2027/2028 school year, with a planned start in September 2027 and completion in June 2028. Participating centers must have classrooms with the necessary technical means, designate a coordinating teacher, select the beneficiary group of students, and disseminate the initiative throughout the entire educational community.

The call extends a program that until now was limited to municipalities facing demographic challenges to the entire provincial territory, so that institutes in small municipalities will be able to access specialized mental health training for students, teachers, and families free of charge, with a provincial investment of 85,000 euros.

Source: BOPPO, no. 200, October 16, 2026, Local Administration, Provincial Deputation (official reference: CXGVCDYF4ZEKVTNY).