NOVA Medical School takes health literacy programme to Madeira and Aveiro

26-Jun-2025

NOVA Medical School is preparing for another edition of Summer Medical School: Lifestyle, the medical school's pioneering project that combines science, health and education to promote healthy lifestyles among children and young people.

In its 4th edition, the Summer Medical School: Lifestyle is expanding for the first time to the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM), with initiatives in Funchal and Porto Santo. The expansion - which is the result of a partnership with the Regional Secretariat for Health and Civil Protection and the Regional Secretariat for Education, Science and Technology of the Autonomous Region of Madeira - not only reinforces NOVA Medical School's commitment to intervening early with the new generations (empowering young people with essential skills for adopting healthy lifestyles, with a lasting impact on their quality of life and that of their families), but also contributes to reducing territorial inequalities in access to health knowledge.

Some of the places on these summer programmes will be made available through scholarships, awarded with the support of the corporate sector - namely the Sousa Group and Abbott - allowing children in situations of socio-economic vulnerability or with chronic illnesses to take part in the initiative without any associated costs.

Claiming to be a benchmark in the promotion of healthy lifestyles and, above all, in the empowerment of young people (with proven results in the acquisition of practical skills for everyday life and increased levels of health literacy), the 2025 edition runs from June to July and includes six different programmes involving around 150 participants: Summer Medical School Kids (6 to 10 years old) at NOVA Medical School in Lisbon; Summer Medical School Kids in the Autonomous Region of Madeira; International Programme (entirely in English) specially created to welcome students from all over the world (16 - 18 years old); National Pre-University Programme (15 - 18 years old) and International Programme for Young People in Monterrey, all in Lisbon. In addition, the Summer Medical School, Aveiro Short Edition (7 and 8 June), in partnership with the Casa Hermes Foundation.

During the programmes, participants have the opportunity to develop essential skills that not only benefit their health, but also motivate them to become agents of change in their families and communities. With this initiative, NOVA Medical School also seeks to contribute to reducing childhood obesity in Portugal and to combating the growth of chronic non-communicable diseases, which are responsible for around 70 per cent of deaths worldwide.

Specially designed to promote more balanced lifestyles, the programme is structured around four pillars: nutrition (practical workshops on cooking healthy meals); physical activity (various sessions throughout the day); mental health (activities focused on managing emotions and self-care) and science (understanding nutrition as a science). The programme is rounded off with interactive sessions on cardiovascular risk and basic life support.

 

SUMMER MEDICAL SCHOOL'25 CALENDAR

Aveiro, Summer Medical School Short Edition: 7 and 8 June (6 -10 years - Skope - Museum of Medicine and Health)

Lisbon: June 30 to July 11 Kids Programme (6 - 10 years) | Pre-University Programme for young people of Portuguese nationality, July 14 and 18 (15 - 18 years) and International Edition (international students 16 - 18 years), July 21 to 25 - all in Lisbon, at NOVA Medical School

Funchal: 7 to 11 July (6 - 10 year olds), at the Funchal Hotel and Tourism School.

Porto Santo: 12th July (6 - 10 years old)