Between Thinking and Doing there is a Way to Go! What a week!

Inspired by the design thinking methodology, young people from the islands of São Miguel and Terceira were challenged by the mentor Ricardo Freitas to identify, reflect on and build answers to the problems they identified that make it impossible for young people to stay in their communities. This was the Community Walking Week, a different way to think.

It was a very different week, with lots of inspiration and creativity!

The journey began on Lagoa’s seafront promenade, on an accessible route that allowed the young people to reflect on the reasons that prevent young people from entering the job market, the problems facing Azorean society and the meaning of rurality.

Creativity is the key!

This was followed by visits to inspiring businesses, Peixaria Vieira, FAT Tuna, Easy Fruits & Salads and Atlantic Beauty, created by young Azoreans who dared to build their own life project. We moved on to the Contemporary Arts Center – Arquipélago, where creativity took wing and led the young people to create solutions to the problems they encountered: early school leaving; social isolation of the elderly and their carers; deviant behavior in rural parishes.

Results!

At Galeria Kairós, during a community brunch, the StayOn young people presented the results of all their work and reflected on youth in the Azores. This was an important moment for the young people and was attended by the Regional Director for Professional Qualification and Employment, Nuno Gomes, the Regional Director for Youth, Eládio Braga, the President of the Fajã de Baixo Parish Council, Luís Anjos, and the Board of Directors of CRESAÇOR, Nélia Viveiros.