In Cascais, Youth Voice turns secondary school students into real policymakers, with nine editions and proposals that have changed local services and national education policy.
A SEAT AT THE TABLE, NOT JUST A VOICE IN THE ROOM
Young people are too often consulted without being heard. Youth Voice was designed to change this. Throughout the academic year, students from public and private secondary schools in Cascais research a relevant societal theme, debate key challenges, and develop concrete public policy proposals, supported by peer mentors, teachers, external experts, and municipal teams. The process culminates in a public Forum where students present their proposals directly to the Mayor, the Municipal Executive, and Parish Council Presidents. When proposals go beyond local competence, national representatives are invited too — as happened in 2020, when the Secretary of State for Education attended and later implemented one of the students' proposals at national level.
STUDENTS TODAY, MENTORS TOMORROW
What makes Youth Voice distinctive is how it sustains and strengthens itself with every edition. Former participants return as peer mentors. External specialists review proposals for legal and technical soundness. A stable teacher community ensures continuity. A student-led communications group manages the project's social media, fostering lasting ownership. Each edition builds on the last, incorporating lessons and growing the community. This self-reinforcing model transforms Youth Voice from a civic education programme into a genuine and lasting infrastructure for youth democratic participation.
2,270 STUDENTS LATER, HERE IS WHAT CHANGED
Across nine editions, over 2,270 students and 150 teachers have taken part. The results are concrete: since 2020, free bus transport has been available to all Cascais residents and students. In 2024, a free youth wellbeing centre offering psychology, nutrition, and sexual health support was reopened following students' proposals. At national level, a 2021 ministerial order standardised school diplomas to include descriptions of students' project involvement, a direct outcome of a 2020 Youth Voice proposal. This proves that when young people are given a real role in democracy, they use it well.
