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Common Room

place Portugal

Fostering youth social and mental health through learning, relationships and participation

The World Health Organization identifies loneliness as a global health crisis. More vulnerable to social exclusion and mental illness, one in five young people report feeling alone. We co-create learning contexts with students and teachers to build meaningful relationships, develop transversal skills, and solve real challenges, empowering them to foster connection, inclusion, and participation.

Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Updated April 2026
Web presence

2024

Established

1

Countries
Alunos dos Anos Finais
Target group
We aim to transform education into spaces of social connection, well-being, and participation, reducing loneliness, social exclusion, and school dropout. In these spaces, young people flourish by actively engaging in meaningful learning, building strong relationships, and collaborating to solve real-world challenges.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

As a researcher and educator, I recognize that young people need social connection, inclusion, participation, and opportunities for a meaningful life. They also need to develop essential transversal skills, such as public speaking and collaborative problem-solving, to thrive in school and beyond. Many young people face vulnerable socioeconomic conditions and have limited access to enriching learning and intercultural environments.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Face-to-face participatory learning programmes co-created with young people, where they actively engage in real-world challenges while developing transversal skills, building meaningful relationships, and strengthening connections with local youth associations.

How has it been spreading?

We have implemented two complementary projects: one in a public school, focused on deliberation, oratory, and collaborative problem-solving through real-world challenges; and another in university and community settings, focused on developing social, intercultural, and communication skills while fostering social inclusion. Both have demonstrated measurable results and impact. At this stage, Common Room is supported by several partners, is ready for replication, and we are open to social investment to scale our impact.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

Contact us to receive mentoring and pilot Common Room in your school or community.