RedCLARA, the BELLA II project, and the European Union (EU), with support from the National Secretariat of Science and Technology (SENACYT) and the University of the Valley, are organizing a webinar on June 6th to kick off the Copernicus Academy's rollout in Guatemala.

The Copernicus Academy is a regional network that enhances capacity building and knowledge management to effectively integrate the use of geospatial data from the EU's Earth observation program into the academic, governmental, and private sectors. Within this framework, we share successful experiences, conduct interdisciplinary training programs to enhance new skills, and promote strategic collaboration to address challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, water management, and emergency situations using available tools and resources.

Laura Castellana, Academic Projects Coordinator at RedCLARA, indicated that the start of the Copernicus Academy rollout in Guatemala represents an opportunity to empower current and future generations through education to effectively use, adapt, and process satellite data and images to improve our planet and lives. "The experience in other countries in the region has shown us the positive impact we can achieve by investing in education, and we are committed to replicating that success in Guatemala," she added.

The expansion of Copernicus in Latin America and the Caribbean represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen regional collaboration, promote sustainable development, and enhance community well-being while advancing towards more efficient and responsible management of natural resources.

The June 6th webinar will kick off the four phases of the Copernicus Academy deployment and implementation in Guatemala. The second phase is an in-person workshop scheduled for July during the Guatemala Book Fair (FilGua), followed by the first meeting of the Academy's National Committee. The fourth phase involves developing a pilot project.

RedCLARA, within the BELLA II Project, improves the Copernicus Academy's deployment in Latin America and the Caribbean. This work began with the launch of the Earth Observation Strategy in 2022 and continued in 2023 with the development of joint initiatives, such as the "Copernicus Innovation Challenge" Ideathon and the "Copernicus Innovation Development" Hackathon, which have strengthened collaboration and contributed to the advancement of satellite data utilization to address regional challenges in areas such as climate change, natural disasters, and water management.