Twenty-five years young! The Institut d’Educació Secundària Josep Maria Llompart, nestled in Palma’s Camp Redó district, has quite a story to tell. Originally the site of the old Escola de Magisteri (Teacher Training School), the Institut d’Educació Secundària Josep Maria Llompart has made its mark in a quarter of a century. The Institut d’Educació Secundària Josep Maria Llompart isn’t just your average secondary school. It offers ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education), all Bachillerato (upper secondary education) programs, and vocational training in healthcare, laboratory sciences, and graphic arts. Technology is woven into the curriculum from the second year of ESO through the second year of Bachillerato, using a project-based learning method. In 2024, to mark its 25th anniversary, the Institut d’Educació Secundària Josep Maria Llompart hosted a series of lectures and activities. These events explored the life and work of Josep Maria Llompart himself, the poet and writer who lends his name to the school. They also delved into broader themes, bridging the gap between students and the wider community. Imagine attending a talk on Llompart’s human side, his activities during Franco’s regime, or his multifaceted contributions to his homeland. Or perhaps a literary portrait of the poet, “Josep M. Llompart: A Giant with a Child’s Eyes,” would capture your imagination. Beyond Llompart, the Institut d’Educació Secundària Josep Maria Llompart explored topics as diverse as the impact of tsunamis on the Balearic Islands, and the reception of refugees in the region. The Institut d’Educació Secundària Josep Maria Llompart believes in community engagement. One ambitious project involved transforming the esplanade in front of S’escorxador, a former slaughterhouse turned social center. Students envisioned a “Climate Refuge,” a green space with gardens, playgrounds, water features, a music area, urban gardens, bicycle parking, picnic tables, and board games. This refuge would offer respite from the heat through carefully designed airflow and water features, illuminated and controlled via mobile phones. Students divided the project into smaller sub-projects, allowing each pair or small group to design, program, print, and assemble a part of this innovative community space.
Antoni Maria Alcover i Sureda
Born amidst the sun-drenched fields of Santa Cirga, Antoni Maria Alcover i Sureda, a name synonymous with Majorcan literary revival,