Programa Escolhas is a national governmental programme, created in 2001, upheld by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and integrated in High Commission for Migration with the central mission of promoting social inclusion for children and youngsters from vulnerable social economical contexts, aiming  equal opportunities and social cohesion reinforcement.

Currently in its 5th generation, taking place until the 31st of December of 2014, the Programa Escolhas maintains protocols with the Consortium of 110 local projects of social inclusion within vulnerable communities, with the option of financing over 30 projects, most of which are placed in territories where the descendants of immigrants and ethnic minorities are concentrated.

This programme of social inclusion is sponsored by the Institute of Social Security, by the General Direction of Education and by the European Social Fund, through the Potential Human Operative Programme – (POPH/QREN.)

The Resolution of the Council of Ministers nr. 68/2012, which renews the Programa Escolhas to the period of 2012 to 2015 and the Legislative Order nr. 17/2012, published in the Republic Diary, 2nd Series, nr. 158 of 16th of August of 2012, that frames the Regulation of the Programa Escolhas, can be consulted at “Framework”.

 

In its 1st stage of implementation, in 2001, the Programa Escolhas was a Programme to Prevent the Criminality and Insertion of youth from more problematic neighborhood of the Districts of Lisbon, Porto and Setúbal. During this period, ranging from January of 2001 to December 2003, it has implemented 50 projects and covered 6.712 recipients.

 

The 2nd Generation of the Choices is born in May of 2004, extended until 2006. From the experience and apprenticeship obtained in the meantime, the Programme is open to new challenges and redirects its action of preventing the criminality to the promotion of social inclusion,

The acting model in which was based is reset and instead of being sustained in a centralized logic, becomes a Programme underpinned in projects locally planned, based upon local institutions (schools, training centers, associations, (IPSS), among other), to whom was addressed the challenge of conception, implementation and evaluation of projects. During this period 87 projects were sponsored and followed throughout the country. The number of recipients covered at this stage raises to 43.200 allocated in 54 councils.

 

This number would continue to raise in the 3rd generation of the Programa Escolhas that, between 2007 and 2008, covered 81.695 children and youths coming from more vulnerable social economical contexts, aged between 6 and 24 years old. The programme also broaden, during this period, its range of action and was then present in 71 councils of the national territory.

 

Between 2010 and 2012, the Programa Escolhas is renewed to a new stage, its 4th generation. Considering that the Programa Escolhas “has shown since 2001 an effective capacity to intervene in the domain of social inclusion”, the Government has decided not only to continue the Programme, but also to reinforce its presence in the field, so it increased its global financing and, consequently, the number of projects to support. [Resolution of the Council of Ministers nr. 63/2009 of 23rd of June].

 

Based upon the experience accrued in the past and based in the consolidation of the model previously followed, the 4th generation of the Programme introduces, however, some aspects that have allowed the reinforcement of the global quality of the action then developed. To the four measures, in which the programme was sustained up to then: (I) School integration and non-formal education; (II) Professional Training and employability; (III) Civic and communitarian participation and (IV) Digital inclusion a fifth priority measure was added, which aimed to stimulate the entrepreneurship and Capability of youths.

 

The reinforcement of employability and professional training, a major differentiation of target audience, the consolidation of consortium and the differentiation and model of financing were other measured added up the 4th generation of Programa Escolhas well as the major support to youth initiatives and encouragement to its participation.

 

This 4ª Generation has created a new character - the Community facilitator. This new job function is developed by a youngster with a very important characteristic - a positive leadership to strengthen the local projects.

In this generation was possible to financially support 134 local projects.

 

See Programa Escolhas Projects location here

 

Acess to Programa Escolhas Activity Reports here