2026 ISCHE Retreat The Sanctuary at Arantzazu The Basque Country
Announcing the 2026 ISCHE Annual Retreat
On behalf of the organizing committee, it is a pleasure to welcome members of International Society for Children’s Health and the Environment (ISCHE) to our 2026 Annual Retreat, set in the remarkable surroundings of Arantzazu in the Basque Country of northern Spain.
This year’s gathering brings us together in a place known for reflection, creativity, and deep connections between people, culture, and landscape. Nestled in the mountains near Oñati, Arantzazu Sanctuary offers an inspiring setting to step back from daily demands and engage more fully with one another and with the urgent challenges facing children’s environmental health.
OBJECTIVE
Retreat 2026
From Complexity to Clarity: Translating Environmental Health Research into Impact for Children’s Health.
AGENDA
VENUE
The 2025 ISCHE retreat will be held at the beautiful Sanctuary of Arantzazu, in the municipality of Oñate (Gipuzkoa) in the Basque Country. It is surrounded by astonishing nature and is home to a beautiful modern basilica built by some of the most revered Basque sculptors and architects in the 1950s. Click here to access a short video of Arantzazu and here for an inside view of the basilica. The place is also rich in opportunities for hiking and contacting nature.
COST
Single occupancy conference attendee $1600 USD per person
Double occupancy (shared queen bed) conference attendee $1200 USD per person
R2A Fellow (includes Fellows Day activities on June 2)
$1950 USD per person
Accompanying individual NOT attending retreat (e.g., companion; shared queen bed)
$800 USD per person
TRAVEL TIPS
The Lodge is located 90 miles east of Los Angeles. For a map and driving directions, consult the lodge website.
Travelers can book flights to several area airports. Flying to Los Angeles International (LAX) and Ontario (ONT) airports offers best options for arranging transportation to the Lodge.
The planning committee is exploring the possibility of booking transportation for a larger group from one or both airports.
REGISTRATION
Registration is now closed, we hope to see you at the next ISCHE retreat.
THE
NEEDLEMAN
AWARD
SCIENTIST - ADVOCATE AWARD for PROTECTING CHILDREN from TOXIC CHEMICALS
The Sanctuary hall of Arantzazu is the centerpiece of a site that has been destroyed and rebuilt many times since its 15th-century origins. The current hall—completed in the 1950s after earlier sanctuaries were lost to fire and war—embodies a bold modernist vision: soaring stone walls, sculptural forms, and a dramatic interplay of light shaped by artists like Oteiza, Chillida, and Muñoz. At once austere and expressive, it stands as a testament to the Basque spirit of renewal and devotion.
Children are essential to our future and the continuation of human life. Children around the world are confronted by multiple environmental threats to health, including toxins, air pollution, psychosocial stress, and climate change. Infants and children are often exquisitely vulnerable to these threats; exposures during critical windows of vulnerability have been associated with a wide range of childhood diseases. Early life exposures can also increase the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood.