03 Sep Do you have an idea to improve your village or town? The Gloria Villalba Awards are back!
September brings a new opportunity for young people to turn their ideas into real projects. The third edition of the Gloria Villalba Awards is now open, an initiative promoted by Jóvenes Dinamizadores Rurales (Rural Youth Ambassadors) that aims to foster talent, creativity and youth participation in secondary schools across rural Aragón.
Because young people’s ideas can also transform our rural communities.
What are the Gloria Villalba Awards?
The Gloria Villalba Awards are an opportunity for young people to identify needs in their communities, imagine solutions and, most importantly, put their ideas into action.
The aim is to promote projects that contribute to improving life in rural communities while helping young people develop key skills for their future: leadership, creativity, teamwork, participation and social commitment.
And the best part? You don’t need to have everything figured out from the beginning. Throughout the programme, participants will receive training and support to help turn a good idea into a project that can become a reality.
Who can take part?
The programme is aimed at secondary schools in rural Aragón.
Each participating school can submit a collective project involving at least 10 students, supported by a designated teacher.
And what can the project be about?
Whatever you want!
The only requirement is that the proposal has a positive impact on the community and contributes to improving some aspect of life in the local rural area.
It could be an initiative related to culture, the environment, leisure, sport, community life, youth participation, heritage, equality, technology, youth spaces… The possibilities are endless!
A school year to turn an idea into action
The projects will be developed over approximately one school year, following different stages:
Until 7 October
Registration of participating schools.
October – December
4–5 training sessions in the classroom, using activities and materials delivered by Rural Youth Ambassadors.
Until 10 December
Submission of project proposals.
17 December
Project evaluation and announcement of the selected initiatives.
January – April 2027
Time to put your ideas into action.
April 2027
Final event featuring project presentations, the awards ceremony and a chance to share everything participants have learned.
And yes… there are prizes!
This third edition will award 15 prizes, each including financial support of up to €500 per project.
But the prize isn’t just about the money. Participating groups will also receive support from youth workers and Local Action Groups, who will accompany them throughout the process and help make their initiatives a success.
Projects will be assessed according to criteria such as:
Social innovation
Positive impact on the community
Long-term sustainability
Do you have an idea? This could be your moment!
Rural communities need new ideas, new ways of doing things and, above all, young people who want to get involved and play an active role in shaping the future of their communities.
The Gloria Villalba Awards are an opportunity to show that living in a rural area does not mean having fewer opportunities to make a difference.
Quite the opposite: it means having a place where your ideas can make a real impact.
The third edition of the Gloria Villalba Awards is organised with the collaboration of LAAAB – Aragón Open Government Laboratory and ECODES Foundation.
Find the rules
What if the next big idea for your community comes from your school?
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