Itaka-Escolapios is an organisation created and promoted by the Piarists and their Fraternities, which, although it was legally constituted as a foundation in the year 2001, it takes up the work that, in the field of education in leisure time, education for peace, international cooperation and social action, has been carried out in Bilbao by various associations from the surrounding area since the beginning of the 80s.
Among all the initial activities, the Mikel Deuna Scout Group, the seed of the current Calasanz Movement, the university groups that made up the catechumenate now present in Itaka-Escolapios and the ‘Iturralde’ Free Time Training School should be highlighted.
The continuous work with minors from different centres in Bilbao and other municipalities in Bizkaia led in 1995 to the setting up of a home for young women who had left the protection systems and often had to return to the homes they had left as children. The good functioning of the home and the demand for new places led to the opening of the second home in 1997. The profile of the participants has changed over the years, culminating in 2001 with the creation of the Beregain programme, which is still present in Itaka-Escolapios today.
The homes for pregnant women were joined in 2007 by Aukera, which has been growing in terms of the number of participants and impact in Bilbao, becoming the Programme for the Accompaniment of Migrants. This programme will incorporate Spanish language learning in 2010, Ojalá, following a request from Bilbao City Council.
The alliance between the Colegio Escolapios and the Itaka-Escolapios Foundation in Bilbao continues to follow in the footsteps of Saint Joseph Calasanz, promoting evangelisation and educational and social action.