The “Young Mayor” project – the promotion of civic growth in Portugal

Youth Work Talks - 2025

Written by: Nik Paddison

Andreia Santos from Portugal was one of the participants, she kindly gave us some of her time to explain about a cross-sectoral initiative she is a part of that is supporting young people’s civic growth.

Thank you for your time Andreia. Can you tell us who you are and what you do?

Hello, I am Andreia Santos, and I work for the Municipality of Santa Maria da Feira in northern Portugal, part of the Porto Metropolitan Area - the country’s second largest city. I am the Director of Culture, Education, Youth, and Tourism at the municipality.

What are some of the issues that young people are facing in Santa Maria da Feira?

In Santa Maria da Feira, we see that many young people are not engaging in projects or community initiatives that they could be part of. We organise many activities across the municipality, but often young people do not take part in them or feel that their voices are not truly heard in school or civic life.

There are also practical difficulties, such as the lack of good public transport, especially for those living in smaller or rural areas, which can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Mental health is another major concern, with many young people dealing with anxiety, stress, and the stigma that still exists around asking for help.

At the same time, many young people face financial challenges. Low levels of financial literacy make it difficult for them to manage money, and the high cost of housing makes independence harder to achieve. All these factors affect how young people participate in community life and make it more difficult for them to be active and involved citizens.

Can you share with us the work you are doing with the young people?

One of the projects that we are running for over 10 years now, is called “Jovem Autarca”. In English it means “Young Mayor”. This is a project that aims to engage young people in municipal level decision making, linking them to democracy and to civic participation. The project is about valuing young people's opinions, ideas, and perspectives. It gives the elected young people the opportunity to actively participate in their municipality's political decisions and act as a spokesperson for their peers.

Each year, we open a call in 11 different schools for young people who want to run for the position of “Young Mayor”. All young people aged 11 to 17 can vote, and those aged 13 to 17 can apply to be candidates. They must either study in the municipality of Santa Maria da Feira or live there, even if they attend school in another municipality. There are 21 places available for candidates, which are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. In the election itself, there are three positions: the Young Mayor and two Youth Councillors.

Each school is responsible for how they share this call and for defining the criteria required for young people to apply. Apart from filling in a form, candidates must also write and submit a manifesto. The students in each school are responsible for creating their own campaign strategies to promote the election among their peers.

The election campaign lasts for about one month, during which candidates present their ideas and proposals to other young people across the municipality. The campaign officially begins with a public presentation of all candidates and their proposals. In one year, more than 7,000 young people took part in the voting process.

What responsibilities does the Young Mayor’s team have?

Once the Young Mayor and the two Youth Councillors are elected, they have the mandate for one year. They are expected to actively participate in the municipality's political decisions, acting as spokesperson for their peers. The Young Mayor’s team must also have a minimum of two meetings per month.

The Young Mayor’s team has a budget they are responsible for, and they are expected to speak at special occasions that are marked in Portugal throughout their year. They are also required to update and inform the municipality about their work, the projects they are supporting and their experiences. The Young Mayor is also an official member of the Youth Council of Santa Maria da Feira.

Is there a budget for the implementation of the Young Mayors? And what support is available for the team?

The budget they are responsible for is 10.000 EUR. They must carry out youth oriented projects with this money. To do this they need to enter into dialogue with the young people of the municipality to learn what is wanted and needed. After collecting ideas, they need to decide which ones they want to support and present these ideas to the Council of Santa Maria da Feira and all the deputy-mayors.

They then need to develop the proposed ideas into plans of action, and organise the various activities or actions. Everything has to be done properly and officially. This is one of the main goals of the Young Mayor project.

From our side, we support and empower the Young Mayor and their team with training and soft skills in communication, public speaking, and participation. This includes initial training, guidance for the public presentation of candidates, debates in schools, visits to municipal spaces, and a residential training programme.

They are responsible for developing a project based on the priorities they have identified that meet the needs of young people. Whether their ideas succeed or not, they learn through experience, which is very important. We do not intervene in choosing which projects they will run during their year - our goal is for them to learn from both their mistakes and their successes. At the end of their mandate, they do a reflection of their year and their work and provide us feedback on what could be done better in the future.

In terms of the cross-sectoral approach, who are the different agencies involved here?

We have the municipality, as we are the promoters and coordinators of the project. We work very closely with schools, because without them we cannot reach the young people. We also involve the wider community, including parents and teachers, and we have an informal Youth Advisory Group made up of former Young Mayors and other young people who participate in the activities we promote. At present, we are not formally linked with youth organisations, but this is something we hope to develop in the future.

How important is a cross-sectoral approach for working with young people?

A cross-sectoral approach is very important because it allows young people to take real responsibility for decision-making. The municipality provides funding, mentoring, and overall support, while schools and youth organisations engage with the young people and help nominate the candidates.

The wider community also benefits from these youth-led initiatives and fresh ideas. This collaboration builds bridges between local governance, education, and youth work, creating real opportunities for young people to participate meaningfully and take part in co-decision making processes. By working with different partners, young people develop skills, share ideas, and understand different perspectives, which helps them feel supported and makes a lasting contribution to their community.

What kind of outcomes are you seeing from this project?

Oh, the students give us a lot of feedback, and in many cases, they improve their results in different subjects at school. They gain experience in public speaking and communicating with others, and they become more engaged in all the activities they take part in. More than the specific projects they develop, it is the whole process they are involved in that we believe is most important for their lives. They open their minds, access new information and opportunities, and share what they learn with the community.

Through the Young Mayor project, the young people also develop skills like leadership, teamwork, project planning, and decision-making. They learn how to organise events, manage a budget, and plan activities. They see how their ideas can actually influence decisions in the municipality, which gives them a real sense of responsibility and pride. They become more aware of issues in their community and understand how they can make a difference.

They also contribute a lot to the Youth Advisory Group. Every time we want to organise or promote something, we ask the Youth Advisory Group for input or feedback on our ideas. At the same time, they build connections with local authorities, teachers, and peers, which can inspire future engagement in civic or professional life.

Many of them continue to stay involved in youth, cultural, or sports associations, and some even participate in European projects, carrying forward the skills and experiences they gained through the Young Mayor project.

Andreia Santos

Andreia Santos, and I work for the Municipality of Santa Maria da Feira in northern Portugal, part of the Porto Metropolitan Area - the country’s second largest city. I am the Director of Culture, Education, Youth, and Tourism at the municipality.