The Pavilhão Municipal Fernando Lima in Caminha hosted this morning the opening of the first edition of UP.Caminha – Youth and Entrepreneurship Forum. This initiative aims to establish itself as a space for meeting, inspiration, and action, placing young people at the center of the county's development strategies.
The forum, aimed at secondary and vocational education students, university students, and young entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 35, takes place today and tomorrow. It brings together schools, companies, institutions, associations, and local agents with a common goal: to create more opportunities for young people and strengthen their connection to the territory.
At the opening session, the president of the Câmara Municipal de Caminha, Liliana Silva, highlighted that UP.Caminha represents a step forward in building municipal policies oriented towards youth. She announced new measures, such as the Youth Participatory Budget and the Youth Art Biennial, to enhance youth involvement and value their talent.
Liliana Silva emphasized the concept “Give an UP to Caminha. Give an UP to talent. Give an UP to opportunities. Give an UP to ideas. Give an UP to the ability to believe that it is possible to build a future here.” She reinforced that the county's future depends on creating conditions for young people to realize their personal and professional projects in Caminha, highlighting the natural resources, heritage, culture, tourism potential, and dynamic economic fabric.
The Youth Councilor, José Leal, officially opened the proceedings, stating that “Investing in youth is investing in the future of Caminha. It is recognizing that young people are not just the future of our county, but also an essential part of its present.” He argued that the forum should be a space for dialogue and joint construction, promoting collaboration between schools, companies, institutions, and local government.
The event's program, under the motto “Dar um UP,” includes lectures, round tables, workshops, practical demonstrations, project presentations, and networking moments, addressing topics such as entrepreneurship, innovation, qualification, employment, creativity, and local development. Highlights include the UP.EACH sessions with real stories from young entrepreneurs, UP.TALK on entrepreneurship and future skills, and the UP.LAB for developing business ideas.
The UP.Market brings together companies and institutions, presenting opportunities for training, employment, volunteering, and personal development. The program also includes cultural and entertainment moments, as well as the diploma ceremony for final-year students from AECC and ETAP, concluding with a musical performance.
Organized by Alma Rural with the support of the Municipality of Caminha, UP.Caminha aims to be a platform for connection between young people, schools, companies, and institutions, promoting talent and innovation for a more sustainable and attractive future for the county.
The detailed program for October 15 and 16, 2026 includes various UP.VISION, UP.EACH, UP.TALK sessions, and UP.LAB workshops, addressing topics such as entrepreneurship in rural areas, business creation, human skills, talent retention, humor and success, associativism, sustainability, remote work, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of work. There will also be project presentations, dance battles, and a diploma ceremony.
