Esplais Catalans (ESPLAC)

Popular education and children's rights

Esplais Catalans (ESPLAC) is a secular, progressive association of youth recreation centers, or esplais. Its volunteers work toward social change through popular education, with children's rights at the heart of its work. ESPLAC brings together local centers and their members as a place to exchange ideas, learn, and take collective action.

Programs and services

The association provides training for youth group leaders, organizes gatherings and camps, runs campaigns, and supports working groups on issues relevant to esplais. Its work includes equality, freedom, participation in community organizations, environmental education, and children's rights.

• Training for youth centers and their leaders through Escola d'Esplac, workshops, and courses.
• Gatherings and activities, including Trobades, Monifesta't, Esplaiada, and educational camps.
• Projects and working groups on Gender and Diverse and Dissident Sexualities (GSDD), international exchange, and the prevention, detection, and response to child sexual abuse.
• A resource bank and activity calendar for member centers.
• Directories of youth centers, camps, residential trips, and hiking routes.

Size and reach

According to the association, more than 5,000 children from Esplac centers take part in residential trips, camps, and hiking routes each summer. The organization is divided into geographic areas, including Bages, Berguedà, Cerdanya and Ripollès, Osona and Moianès, Penedès, Garraf and Anoia, and Camp de Tarragona.

Location and contact

Head office: Carrer Avinyó, 44, 2nd floor, 08002 Barcelona. Phone: 93 302 61 03. Email: esplac@esplac.cat. Regional contact: bcn.oest@esplac.cat.

Online

Esplac Catalans is on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube as Esplaiscatalans.