The students of 9th grade classes A, C, D, and F from Albufeira Secondary School, in collaboration with the 12th grade L class, organized an inspiring exhibition on the importance of gender equality, taking advantage of the occasion of International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8. This initiative was based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5), which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

The exhibition showcased artistic works, documentary research, graphics, and musical projects to raise awareness within the school community about the need to promote equal rights for all people, regardless of gender. It was accompanied by a photo session open to all girls and women who wished to participate, and the portraits will soon be displayed as a tribute to the female population of the educational community.

Before the exhibition, the students conducted detailed research using official sources, gathering updated statistical data at local, national, European, and global levels. The figures presented helped illustrate the disparities that still exist in different areas, and everyone was invited to suggest concrete individual and collective actions to contribute to eliminating inequalities.

Events like this clearly demonstrate that education plays a fundamental role in building a more equal and sustainable society.

As part of the Erasmus+ ODDience 2030 project, teachers Naseema Saiyad and Manuela Lopes have been developing the “Polarity Game” prototype at the Agrupamento de Escolas de Albufeira, applied to vocational high school students. This prototype was built with the orientation of Andreea Gatman and translated into Portuguese by our team, with the agreement of Act On Learning.

In its initial phase, the prototype faced challenges, as students showed low motivation in its implementation. However, with the support of the Erasmus team, the game has been continuously improved and adapted, considering the difficulties encountered during its application.

One of the key adaptations involved a shift in approach: instead of engaging in self-reflective tasks, which initially caused discomfort and difficulty, and following the advice of teacher Maria, students were encouraged to create fictional characters. With this, students followed the curriculum of the subject (Portuguese) and, at the same time, got involved in the development SEL (Self Emotional Learning)

This new approach has facilitated expression of the students ‘emotions, enhanced creativity, fostered critical thinking, thus allowing a more natural connection to emotional intelligence.

Results so far show that this strategy has been crucial in motivating students, making learning more engaging and meaningful.

This work continues to be a valuable contribution to the development of critical thinking and creativity, which are essential pillars of the ODDience 2030 project.