Premios Fundación Rafa Nadal
THE RAFA NADAL FOUNDATION AND THE SILBON FOUNDATION JOIN FORCES FOR A MORE CONSCIOUS AND SUSTAINABLE CHILDHOOD
Thanks to this new alliance, the Rafa Nadal Foundation Centers in Palma, Valencia, and Madrid will incorporate educational activities focused on sustainability and environmental care, offering children a unique opportunity to learn through action and responsible play.
- The Rafa Nadal Foundation and the Silbon Foundation join forces to promote environmental education from childhood.
- The Rafa Nadal Foundation Centers in Palma, Valencia, and Madrid will include educational and recreational activities focused on environmental care during their 2025 Summer Course.
- Activities will include practical challenges related to recycling, biodiversity, and ocean protection, aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Rafa Nadal Foundation and the Silbon Foundation have launched a collaboration aimed at educating, inspiring, and mobilizing children and adolescents around sustainability and environmental issues. This partnership will take place during the Summer Course organized by the Rafa Nadal Foundation at its centers in Madrid, Valencia, and Palma—a healthy leisure initiative that supports work-life balance during school holidays and is part of the foundation’s commitment to the comprehensive development of children.
This new collaboration reinforces both entities’ commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting values such as responsible consumption, biodiversity conservation, and climate action through educational and recreational experiences tailored to each local context.
Rafa Nadal Foundation Center in Madrid: recycling, reuse, and sustainable design
At the Rafa Nadal Foundation Center in Madrid, the focus will be on recycling and responsible consumption, aligned with SDG 12, which advocates for responsible production and consumption. Through a hands-on challenge, children will learn to identify and sort waste into the appropriate bins and then reuse those materials to design creative prototypes with a sustainable approach. The activity will conclude with a vote and a prize for the most responsible design, following the model of the successful Silbon Second Life project, which focuses on clothing reuse and circular consumption.
Rafa Nadal Foundation Center in Valencia: young biodiversity detectives
In Valencia, nature will take center stage. Under the motto “Biodiversity Detectives,” participants will search the classroom for illustrated cards representing local flora and fauna. Following clues, they must identify them and reflect on their ecological importance. Each group will then propose concrete actions to help protect them. This activity aligns with SDG 15: Life on Land, promoting biodiversity conservation and respect for the natural environment from an early age.
Rafa Nadal Foundation Center in Palma: guardians of the sea
In Palma, the focus will be on ocean health. Through visual activities, children will analyze the main problems affecting the Mallorcan sea, such as pollution, biodiversity loss, and overfishing. The challenge will be to propose solutions and share them with the group, understanding that small everyday actions can make a big difference. This activity aligns with SDG 14: Life Below Water, promoting the protection of marine ecosystems and raising awareness of the importance of preserving our oceans.
Each year, the Rafa Nadal Foundation Centers serve over 500 children and adolescents, offering a comprehensive program that combines education, sports, and psychosocial support. In December 2025, this model will mark its 10th anniversary, with a strong social impact.
This work aligns with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, by ensuring safe, inclusive, and equitable environments for the holistic development of children and adolescents.
This new line of work in sustainability and environmental education represents another step in their evolution, expanding their reach and purpose.
The collaboration between the Rafa Nadal Foundation and the Silbon Foundation is born with a clear intention for continuity and long-term growth. Both organizations believe that education is a fundamental and transformative tool that can instill not only knowledge but also values and attitudes in the new generations.
Through this alliance, they aim to inspire children and adolescents to become active agents of change, capable of positively influencing their communities and contributing to the creation of a fairer and more sustainable planet.
This collaboration emphasizes fostering environmental and social awareness from childhood, promoting comprehensive development and responsibility for the environment.
Furthermore, this partnership strengthens the implementation of SDG 17, which promotes strategic partnerships to achieve common goals. By joining forces, resources, and experiences, both foundations solidify a strong commitment to sustainable development, equity, and collective well-being, demonstrating that cooperation between organizations is key to generating lasting and meaningful impact.
“We want this alliance to grow over time. We are committed to training our teams and continuing to develop activities that promote sustainability because taking care of the planet is everyone’s responsibility and starts in childhood,” said María Francisca Perelló, director of the Rafa Nadal Foundation.
“The activities we are developing with the Rafa Nadal Foundation represent a meaningful first step: we are laying the foundations for a fairer, more sustainable, and healthier future for all. We trust that this project will continue to grow and that every boy and girl will find in it the inspiration to become a true agent of change,” said Aécio Dantas, director of the Silbon Foundation.