The 3rd edition of the 'Sharing with Energy' program has mobilized more than 240 students and 42 teachers from 10 Portuguese municipalities, once again breaking participation records for this project launched by EDP in 2016. The number of participants has almost doubled since the first edition, but the impact on local communities has also grown exponentially in only three years, with the number of people who have benefited from this initiative rising from 767 to more than 7,000.

Aside from fostering the development of social and relational skills among high school and professional education students (aged 15 to 19), this innovative project also aims to boost proximity and interaction in the regions where EDP energy production centers are located.

The initiatives comprised in this latest edition of 'Sharing with Energy', which kicked off at the end of September 2019 and ended in June 2020 with the school interaction program, had a direct and indirect impact on at least 7,000 people. Initiatives such as helping out in nursing homes and kennels, cleaning beaches, and various cultural activities have impacted more than 7,000 people - far more than the 1,930 people who have benefited from the program in the previous edition and the 767 people impacted in the first year.

In the final stage - held in May and June - the program also included interactions between students who made their region known to visitors and discovered other places. In the 2018/2019 edition, such interactions involved schools in the vicinity of EDP Produção centers: Cávado-Lima, Douro, Tejo-Mondego, Lares, Ribatejo, and Sines. During the three days of each tour, students from these 11 schools were challenged to come up with several activities to publicize their region, its places and traditions.

'Sharing with Energy' ended this Tuesday, June 25, with the national final at Casa da Música, Porto, where the hundreds of participants of the 3rd edition met. In addition to a round table with some of the teachers involved in the initiative, this meeting was also an opportunity to announce the results of the various teams and interaction programs and to deliver the participation certificates.

The benefits of 'learning by doing'

As part of EDP's global strategy to support local communities, 'Sharing with Energy' also fosters the development of and publicizes these regions among young people from other places. It also intends to create a sense of belonging among young students by challenging them to show off the best things their regions have to offer and by encouraging active citizenship attitudes.

This effort has already had an impact on their personal skills: according to the latest survey, our young participants say that this experience has greatly improved their flexibility, planning, empathy, team spirit, and responsibility skills.

“Students develop social and interpersonal skills and create a sense of belonging, thus strengthening active and compassionate citizenship attitudes,” says one of the teachers involved in the program. Another teacher points out that she has always valued “learning by doing. This project has confirmed the importance of this aspect. It has also forced me to manage my time adequately”. Students confirm these objectives, pointing out that they have “discovered many things” about their region while also gaining more “self-confidence” and a “sense of initiative”. "A fantastic experience I will hardly forget" – says a young student.

'Sharing with Energy', which kicked off with a pilot project in 2014, had its official start with the 2016-2017 edition. Since then, it has impacted thousands of people and involved the implementation of several projects - such as a theater play, a garden for Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Constância, and collecting donations for an association in Tomar, among many other initiatives.

To learn more about the program and see the results of previous editions, Please visit the "Sharing with Energy" website.