December 11, 2020. The Spanish Association Against Depopulation has launched the first school for shepherds nationwide, called the "21st Century School for Shepherdesses." The first class of this school is based in Cantabria, the region where the national headquarters are planned. However, it has a clear international focus and plans to expand to other Spanish communities.

• The training sessions will take place in Cantabria.
• The school will have 15 students and will combine in-person and virtual classes from a systemic approach.

The first “ School of Shepherdesses of the 21st Century ” was born with a double purpose:

• To incorporate women professionally into rural areas, which facilitates the settlement of the population in rural areas and repopulation in certain cases.
• Adapting grazing to new technologies.

To achieve this, the training plan has been oriented towards 4 basic pillars:

• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals .
• The European Union's strategy to prioritize the bioeconomy as a way to achieve healthy ecosystems.
• The European perspective of achieving Smart (connected) Rural Territories .
• Systemic approach: Self-esteem and personal development will be worked on with personalized coaching sessions.

Plan of action

The 21st Century Shepherdess School has planned a 9-month course for 15 students , who will attend theoretical training - virtual, consisting of 460 hours - and practical training , consisting of 225 hours and in person, 1 weekend per month.

The theoretical component comprises 10 modules: pastoralism, entrepreneurship, business management, livestock 4.0, home automation, animal management, silvopastoral systems, and landscape management. The practical training includes monthly farm visits and concludes with a final presentation of a customized project on the final weekend.

The training includes personalized mentoring for the creation of individual business projects. The Cantabrian Chamber of Commerce will be responsible for overseeing each project to ensure its viability.

Scholarship Program

The school offers a scholarship program for two specific cases:

• For the minor sons and daughters of women.
• For sons and daughters with recognized disabilities who must accompany the shepherds on weekend practices.

In the words of Lidia Díaz, president of the Spanish Association Against Depopulation , the shepherding school arose from the limited time women have to travel nationally due to family commitments; "There are many women who want to train in livestock farming but don't have the time. Hence the creation of specific training with scholarships for them."

According to Lidia, "the school is also designed for all those women who want to leave the city and live in a village, which guarantees them a reliable career."

The course is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2021, although "it is still subject to funding conditions from the organizations that support us, which is why we are looking for more partners in this project who want to contribute to corporate social responsibility," says Lidia Díaz.

Registration – open until mid-February 2021 – can be done at the following link