Citizens in Action in Portugal

🎯Aim

⚡️ The goal of the Cidadãos em Ação program is to empower citizens to actively participate in local democracy and politics by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience needed to make a real impact in their communities. We aim to:

  • Inspire a new generation of responsible and motivated political actors.
  • Equip participants with practical tools to prepare for and run in local elections.
  • Create a strong network of engaged Volt members and supporters ready to lead change.

🔄 Process

The program is designed to be interactive, practical, and convenient, combining online learning with real-world application over 7 weekly sessions plus a final in-person graduation:

  • 🖥️ 7 Online Sessions (90 minutes each) Engage in dynamic lessons featuring guest lectures, group discussions, and teamwork.

  • 📚 Interactive Assignments Work collaboratively on homework projects such as attending assemblies, crafting proposals, and designing campaign plans.

  • 💬 Group Collaboration Participants are grouped diversely and encouraged to meet between sessions to enhance learning and foster community.

  • 📧 Ongoing Support and Communication Receive session reminders, recommended readings, and homework guidance via email and WhatsApp.

  • 🎓 In-Person Graduation Celebrate your achievements, network with fellow participants, and prepare to take your new skills forward in local elections.

📜 Program Structure

  • Introduction to local assemblies and the role of deputies.
  • How local government works and the importance of local citizenship.
  • Transparency, the role of councilors, and the election motivation.
  • Skills-building workshops on campaign planning, storytelling, and leadership.

📊Evaluation and learnings

We had forms and open feedbacks from participants.

Format and organisation
✔️Enjoyed the interactive platform butter.us and the final in person session.
⚠️ Resources were available but many did not study it.
➡️ Recommendations: Follow up more or create group works early with topics.

Content and audience fit
👍Excellent speaker quality and topic diversity.
📌 We had a great blend of hands on experience and theory, and very engaging speakers, but we did have some ppl no alligned with the course.
➡️ Suggestions: better vetting prior to the course start.

Community and continuity
🤝 Some members become interested in Volt, and others who were already Volters got more active.
➡️ Concrete actions: we tried to follow up with them with direct calls, and now involve them in activities

Accessibility and sustainability
💡 Participation was free

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