Azorean Government launches project to improve young people’s financial and economic literacy - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego

The Azorean Government launched today the "You're ON! Your Say, Your Choice!" project in Ponta Delgada, an initiative aimed at young people aged between 15 and 30 that seeks to promote financial and economic literacy, empower informed decision-making and encourage more responsible money management.

The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, Maria João Carreiro, marked today the launch of "You're ON! Your Say, Your Choice!", a new project developed by the Regional Government to promote financial and economic literacy amongst young people living in the Region by empowering them to make more informed decisions and manage their money responsibly.

“The aim of this project is not to train economists or finance experts. We aim to provide young people with the tools that will enable them to understand financial and economic concepts and use that knowledge to make informed and responsible decisions about money, both now and in the future,” explained the Regional Secretary during the launch session held at Antero de Quental Secondary School (ESAQ).

The "You're ON! Your Say, Your Choice!" project will run from this coming November to June 2027. It is aimed at young people aged between 15 and 30 from all islands, including secondary, vocational and higher education students, as well as young people on alternative educational pathways, leaders of associations and participants in civic movements.

The project includes activities such as advisory laboratories, a digital campaign and field trips to be carried out using non-formal education methodologies, with an emphasis on participatory and youth-centred learning, group dynamics and collaborative work, a practical and applied approach, dialogue with decision-makers, and the promotion of critical thinking and reasoning.

In April next year,  the"You're ON! Your Say, Your Choice!" meeting, an in-person event to be held in São Miguel, will bring together young people from all the islands, Madeira and mainland Portugal. Young participants will engage in dialogue with policy-makers and experts in the fields of finance and economics to foster the co-creation of ideas and solutions and the development of conclusions and recommendations on financial and economic literacy.

These findings will be presented in June by a group of nine young people from the nine islands of the archipelago, selected by their peers at the meeting in April. At this stage, which marks the culmination of the participatory process, a toolkit will be disseminated and subsequently rolled out across the archipelago through local implementation activities.

Maria João Carreiro pointed out that the promotion of financial literacy amongst young people was discussed at the last session of the Youth Parliament. One of the key recommendations and priorities highlighted by young people participating in the "You're ON! Get informed, Debate and Decide" project – which focuses on media literacy – is, precisely, the promotion of financial literacy.

“Financial and economic decisions are increasingly part of our daily lives, and for this reason, greater knowledge means greater autonomy, better decisions and greater security for the future. This includes the digital environment, where the ability to identify risks, such as online scams and fraud, is an essential skill from both a personal and a civic perspective,” she emphasised.

The "You're ON! Your Say, Your Choice!" project is being promoted in the Region by the Regional Directorate for Youth. It is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme (Key Action 154 – "Youth Participation Activities"), with EU funding of around €52,000.

Among those attending the launch session for the “You're ON!” initiative were Miguel Sousa, President of the ESAQ School Board; Eládio Braga, Regional Director for Youth; Emanuel Medeiros, a member of the Portuguese Chartered Accountants' Association; Flávio Tiago, a lecturer at the University of the Azores; Lubélia Mendes, a credit broker; and Mariana Ponte, a high-achieving student at the University of the Azores. They had the opportunity to engage with children and young people on matters concerning the financial system, banking, the economy and digital security.