The Regional Secretariat for Natural Resources, through the São Miguel Natural Park, has implemented a pilot project with the support of the Regional Directorate for Education and a passenger transport company. Under this project, a total of 850 students visited the Furnas Monitoring and Research Centre.

The "Crianças ao Centro" project aims to distinguish the Elementary, Basic Education and Secondary Eco-Schools from São Miguel. Of the students who visited the Centre, 48 percent were children aged between 6 and 10.

This initiative, which started in April, involved the participation of about one hundred teachers, trainers and assistants. The project is part of the implementation of educational plans developed by Environmental Centres and summarises the environmental offer provided by the Regional Secretariat for Natural Resources in the Azores, through the Island Natural Parks.

In addition to stimulating the adherence of schools to the "Eco-School" award, this project has allowed students to discover the specificities of classified areas on site.

Eco-School is an international programme developed by the European Blue Flag Association (EBFA) that aims to encourage actions and acknowledge the work carried out by schools in the field of Environmental Education through the provision of methodologies, training, educational materials, support and the creation of a framework for the work developed by schools.