Go_Rural – European solidity Corps
Jan/23 – Dez/24
Go_Rural is a project under the European Solidarity Corps Programme, developed in partnership with Associação Oficinas do Convento and other European organisations. It aims to host a total of 10 young volunteers from Portugal and other European countries, preferably from rural areas. Its main objectives are to promote the cultural and environmental heritage of Montemor-o-Novo, as well as active citizenship, European Union initiatives and programmes, and awareness of key topics on the European Union agenda.
Pedagogy for Change
Mar/22 – Jun/23
This project is part of the small-scale partnerships in the youth sector funded by the Erasmus+ programme. Its main objective is to foster international cooperation by supporting local youth in each of the partner countries — Portugal, Spain, Italy and Poland — in activities related to environmental protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and sustainable development. It also creates a space for reflection and dialogue, including the search for solutions to the needs of the natural environment.
The project includes a range of activities, such as webinars, training for youth workers, environmental actions and a flash mob involving young people in each partner country. In Portugal, organised by Marca-ADL, the following activities are taking place:
- Flash mob: “Together for the Native Forest”, involving around 200 students from Montemor-o-Novo Secondary School
- Workshop for project partners on environmental projects
- Workshop on “Water Management”, in partnership with the University of Évora
GREENWAVE
Nov/21 – Nov/23
This is a youth sector project that brings together six organisations from five different European countries, including Marca-ADL, to address youth unemployment and support young people in exploring new pathways within the green economy.
Aligned with the priorities of the European Green Deal, GREENWAVE raises awareness of environmental challenges while promoting the development of green skills, knowledge and attitudes through a Green Competence Framework. The project aims to tackle youth unemployment in the context of the economic crisis by engaging young people in entrepreneurship education combined with environmental responsibility.
More information here.
Schools Go Green
Out/20 – Mar/23
The Schools Go Green project aims to provide a teacher development programme that strengthens educators’ skills in addressing environmental and ecological issues. This enables them to support young learners aged 5 to 12, in pre-primary and primary education, in exploring environmental topics, engaging in problem-solving and taking action to improve the environment in their school and community.
As a result, students are encouraged to develop the skills needed to make informed and responsible decisions in their daily lives. The project seeks to foster an environmentally responsible mindset from an early age, contributing to environmental protection and the prevention of climate change.
The project has also produced a range of resources to support teachers and educators here.
Duoday
2017 – 2021
O projeto “DuoDay”, foi realizado anualmente, e teve como objetivo implementar medidas de sensibilização de emprego para todos, decorreu em diversos formatos, como atividades e eventos. Em parceria com a Casa João Cidade, Cercimor, APPACDM Évora, Nere, Associação 29 de Abril, entre outras.
Nature.com
Jan/21 – Dez/22
Nature.com was an individual volunteering project under the European Solidarity Corps. It aimed to promote volunteering at both European and national level as a non-formal education tool for empowering young people and organisations, with the goal of helping reduce the impacts of climate change and respond to the challenges faced by rural communities.
The project was developed in partnership with Associação Plantar 1 Árvore and Montis, and together these organisations hosted a total of 15 volunteers from Portugal, Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Slovenia.
Verde Bairro
Out/21 – Oct/22
Verde Bairro was a project aimed at strengthening the relationship between residents and the historic centre as a way of promoting quality of life, through activities focused on climate change awareness and biodiversity promotion.
As part of the project, Marca-ADL developed a range of activities in the historic centre of Montemor-o-Novo, including the installation of an insect hotel, the placement of planters, and the cleaning of the area surrounding São Vicente Church. Environmental awareness workshops, the creation of mini-gardens and the distribution of plant pots to residents of the historic centre also took place.
The project was developed in partnership with Oficinas do Convento, União de Freguesias de Vila, Bispo e Silveiras, and the Municipality of Montemor-o-Novo, with funding from the Bairros Saudáveis programme promoted by the Directorate-General of Health.
Project video here.
À Volta das Conversas
Mar/18 – Jan/22
The project “À Volta das Conversas” was promoted by Associação Entretodos (Between), in partnership with SIGMAmente and MARCA-ADL, under an approved application within the National Programme for Mental Health and funded by the Directorate-General of Health.
Its overall aim was to promote the mental health and well-being of young people through the development of social and emotional skills that could help prevent mental health problems in the context of traumatic events, while encouraging group organisation and strengthening resilience. The project also aimed to equip professionals working directly with young people in school settings with effective tools to reinforce protective mental health factors, as well as to raise awareness of the signs of psychological distress among young people. It also sought to involve families by promoting parental awareness of the issues addressed in the programme and encouraging young people to engage their families in the activities carried out.
The interventions were based on the methodology developed by Between and used in the “Circles of Citizenship” programme, which had already been implemented in school settings and monitored and evaluated for impact in partnership with ISCTE-IUL. This methodology creates safe and welcoming spaces for dialogue and action, where young people can express themselves without judgement.
LIFE VOLUNTEER ESCAPES
Jan/18 – Jun/21
This project was one of four across Europe supported by the LIFE Programme to test and assess the feasibility of involving European Solidarity Corps volunteers in nature and biodiversity conservation activities. It was a LIFE Preparatory Project, meaning that it aimed to generate knowledge and information that could support wider application after its conclusion, both nationally and in other Member States. The project was coordinated by Montis – Associação para a Conservação da Natureza, with Marca-ADL as an active partner.
More information here.
LIFE LINES – Linear Infrastructure Networks with Ecological Solutions
Ago/15 – Mai/21
This project was funded by the European Commission’s LIFE+ Programme and coordinated by the University of Évora, with eight partner organisations, including Marca-ADL. Its aim was to test, evaluate and disseminate practices designed to mitigate the negative effects of linear infrastructures on various wildlife species, while promoting the creation of a Green Infrastructure to support biodiversity enhancement and conservation along an important Portugal–Spain transport and energy corridor. The project also received 40% co-funding from the Portuguese Environmental Fund.
As part of the project, a native plant nursery was created and a range of environmental volunteering activities were carried out with different groups.
More information here.
SECTUR – Sustentabilidade e Economia Circular no Turismo
Jun/20 – Dez/20
This project was developed by MARCA-ADL and the company VERde NOVO, with funding from the Portuguese Environmental Fund. Its aim was to activate and build the capacity of local actors and collaborative communities in order to strengthen sustainability and circular economy practices in tourism, while also promoting the sharing of experiences across two rural territories — one in northern Portugal and the other in the Alentejo — both recognised for their natural value and included in the Natura 2000 Network.
Alongside training, knowledge-sharing activities, and the development of an action and monitoring plan, SECTUR also resulted in the creation of a manual to support the implementation of sustainability and circular economy strategies and practices in tourism, as well as an information guide featuring local offers and stakeholders that embody good practice in this field. The documents produced by the project can be found here.
Tempos Cruzados / Diálogos Partilhado
Jan/19 – Jan/20
“Crossed Times, Shared Dialogues” is a project funded by the European Solidarity Corps, created from the proposal of a group of young people living in a municipality with a high ageing rate. It aimed to bring a new perspective on ageing to Montemor-o-Novo by challenging stereotypes and prejudices through intergenerational interaction and dialogue, using non-formal education and cognitive stimulation methodologies.
Through this solidarity project, the aim was to create a methodology that supports the social inclusion of older people by involving young people and the local community; contribute to the well-being of older adults through cognitive stimulation and interaction with younger generations; promote a more positive image of ageing by breaking down pre-existing stereotypes between generations; strengthen young people’s sense of support for more vulnerable groups; equip younger generations with tools and good practices to face their own ageing process in a positive and healthy way; increase older people’s knowledge about ageing; foster a sense of belonging to the community across both generations; and encourage participation and youth associativism.
FORYOUth
Mar/18 – Dez/19
The European Voluntary Service was funded by the Erasmus+ Youth in Action programme. Marca-ADL coordinated the project in partnership with two other local organisations, with the aim of fostering greater openness to interculturality and European citizenship in the municipality of Montemor-o-Novo, especially among young people. In 2018, Marca-ADL and its partners hosted four young volunteers from other countries, who spent nine months developing activities in non-formal education, community work with different target groups, nature conservation, culture and heritage, and artistic expression.
Youth Access to Grow
Set/18 – Jun/19
For nine months, Marca-ADL was a partner in the project “Youth Access to Grow”, coordinated by Asociación PROSEC (Spain), together with organisations from Estonia, Bulgaria and Georgia. Funded by Erasmus+ under Key Action 2 (KA2), the project aimed to create a network of organisations working, or wishing to work, with young people with fewer opportunities. Together, the partners developed a set of tools to foster young people’s participation in international mobility projects.