This project takes several challenges aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as
• SDG 4 Quality Education,
• SDG 5 Gender Equality,
• SDG 8 Decent Jobs and Economic Growth,
• SDG 10 Reducing Inequalities,
• SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

The project has emerged as a response to the challenges faced by young people in Lourinhã, a small town in west region of Portugal, especially regarding to the lack of opportunities for professional guidance and development. This work sets out to explore and implement innovative solutions that not only promote the individual growth of young people, but also the sustainable development of region.

Based on detailed analyses and diverse data collection, “+Visionary” seeks to create a bridge between local needs and global opportunities. Through initiatives such asvmentoring, workshops, networking and storytelling, the project aims to inspire and empowering young people for a more promising future, contributing to the retention of talent and economic dynamism in Lourinhã. We start by data collection and needs analysis and then to the design and validation of the proposals developed. The aim is not only to outline an innovative strategy, but also to build a concrete vision for transforming challenges into opportunities.

This was essential for developing an effective strategy. Based on different data sources and collection methodologies, through an approach centered on the young people of Lourinhã, the ethnographic tools as well as other forms of information were used to understand the challenges faced and identify opportunities for improvement. 

Target Groups:

• Young people who lives in Lourinhã region.
• ADL – Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Lourinhã, a non-profit organization for local development
• Municipality of Lourinhã

Solution
It was possible to outline actions that respond in a concrete way to the expectations of the young population, thus promoting local development and combating the
challenges of employability and settling in the region. We try to explore and identify creative solutions to solve the problem identified. The solution was thinking, discussed and planned with the collaboration of ADL, and the student: an event that includes practical workshops, mentoring sessions with successful professionals from various fields to advise young people, a local companies’ fair for networking and handing out CVs.

Innovation
Lots of municipalities have events that promotes studies in higher institutions but most of the secondary students doesn’t know yet what they want to do. The main idea focused on an event that includes practical workshops that enable young people to develop personal and professional skills, such as how to create a CV; a local company fair for networking and CV submission; mentoring sessions with successful professionals from various fields to advise young people, has something new. The outline of the participant’s experience at the event has been designed to maximise impact. When they arrive at the space, they will be greeted with information materials; they will be able to take part in workshops chosen according to their individual interests; networking at the business fair; participation in mentoring sessions with successful professionals and, finally, the closing – a dynamic to reinforce the learnings and create a sense of community.

Unique Selling Point
This project allow the identification of challenges that young people that lives in Lourinhã has, but also to design a solution to their needs. For this project we use investigation, creativity an was cocreated by the student and the stakeholders always with a focus: to create a real impact. The event’s value proposition is differentiated by the direct link between young people and local companies, helping to retain talent in Lourinhã and promote the region’s
economic growth.

Impact
This event promotes an experience that can transform, giving inspiration, skills, opportunities to connect with the real market. Although, the “+ Visionary” was conceived to strengthen the bond between young people and the region, encouraging the retention of talents and promoting the economic and social development of Lourinhã. This project shows that by investing in young people and valuing local resources, it is possible to create initiatives that benefit the entire community. The realization of “+Visionário” will be an essential step towards boosting the future of young people and, at the same time, consolidating Lourinhã as a place of opportunities. Implementing projects like this not only solves local problems but also inspires other regions to adopt collaborative solutions focused on sustainable development. Collaborating with ADL association, this was a product of a real cocreation. The event, that pursuits the goal of help youngers to found their propose and to develop their skills aligned with the market, was developed with several tools that helped to identify the needs, to improve the experience of the event. That experience was design following the principles of Pine and Gilmore (1999) and their theory of the Economy of Experience. The social impact of the event is significant, by creating opportunities for young people in their hometown, while the environmental impact will be minimised through the use of recyclable materials and good sustainable practices.

Feasibility/Transferability
The project is feasible – ADL and the student will have a meeting with Municipality in order to implement the idea next year. For this year, the student was invited to
participated in the event that occurs every year and shows to secondary schools what they can study in Higher Institutions. The methods used to developed this project can easily be used and/or adapted to other associations, municipalities. The impact can be huge in youngers lives and in local and small communities like Lourinhã.

This student project is submitted through:
School of Tourism and Maritime Technology, Polytechnic University of Leiria
Author: L. Agostinho

Project presentation: Download Here