Adeje Town Hall's Equality Department led by councillor José Antonio López Delgado, continues to develop the educational project "Espacios Arcoíris" (Rainbow Spaces) aimed at infant and primary schoolchildren. The initiative has been ongoing for several months, the goal being to promote equality, visibility of diverse families, and the prevention of sexist and LGBTI-phobic attitudes from early educational stages. The project has been running in CEIP Adeje Casco, Barranco de las Torres, Fañabé, Los Olivos, and Tijoco Bajo, receiving positive feedback from students, families, and schools.
López Delgado highlighted the active role of teachers, stating, "behind every rainbow corner are dedicated educators who believe in reading as a powerful tool for fostering respect. Each story that reaches the classroom is an opportunity to transform perspectives and future realities."
Through storytelling sessions in classrooms, various family, gender, and emotional realities are addressed interactively. These activities, led by specialised staff, include visual materials and proposals that encourage students to reflect on their surroundings and express their emotions freely. Teachers involved in the project have committed to integrating 'Rainbow' storytelling into their classrooms to stimulate critical thinking among students and help combat LGBTI-phobia.
Previous versions of the programme facilitated the creation of equality corners in each school, stocked with LGBTIQ+ themed books for all students. This year, the project goes further as each school is preparing a final collective creation to be showcased in a public exhibition during a family pride day to be held on June 27th at Plaza Pedro Zerolo in Adeje.
Additionally, the Town Hall has scheduled 46 oral storytelling sessions and five training sessions for teachers, each lasting three hours. These trainings aim to provide practical resources for integrating equality and diversity across educational levels. A digital platform with tailored materials for different educational stages has also been made available.
This project is an integral part of applying the regional education law which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Specifically, it aligns with Law 6/2014 of July 25th, the Canary Islands non-university education law, which establishes principles of equality and non-discrimination explicitly covering sexual orientation and gender identity. Moreover, it is consistent with Law 8/2014 of October 28th, which addresses non-discrimination based on gender identity and recognises the rights of transgender individuals, also applicable in the Canary Islands.
