FLIP – Financial Literacy for Innovative youth Participation
Project number: 101186836 — FLIP — ERASMUS-YOUTH-2024-YOUTH-TOG
The FLIP Project is an Erasmus+ initiative aimed at empowering young people aged 15–25 with essential financial skills while promoting democratic engagement through Participatory Budgeting (PB). From May 14–16, 2025, a dynamic study visit took place in Portugal, Europe’s frontrunner in participatory democracy, bringing together youth workers, young participants, and public authority representatives. Through workshops, site visits, and direct exchanges with PB experts, participants explored how financial literacy, PB, and civic participation can work hand in hand to strengthen youth engagement and community decision-making across Europe.
Participant Testimonies from FLIP Study Visit in Porto, Portugal (14 – 16/05/2025)
Sophia Kousioumi, 24, European Solidarity Corps placement in Portugal
Attending the FLIP Project study visit in Porto was life-changing! It was the first time I witnessed participatory budgeting not just as a theoretical concept, but as a real, impactful practice embedded in local governance. Seeing how young people in Portugal are actively involved in shaping the decisions that affect their communities left me in awe. Their voices mattered, their ideas were funded, and they were treated as partners, not just observers. Coming from Cyprus, where participatory budgeting is still unfamiliar territory at the municipal level, I felt a mix of excitement and urgency to bring this model back home.
What made this experience even more special is that I’m currently in Portugal for a European Solidarity Corps placement. The study visit both aligned and expanded my interests as I gained valuable insights and hands-on knowledge that I’m now eager to apply in my workplace, especially with local organizations and youth councils. I can say that this trip was not just about learning, it was also about growing. I met inspiring young people from across Europe, made new friends, and felt a deep sense of connection and purpose. The workshops, the team-building moments, the site visits, and every other part of the schedule helped me grow both personally and professionally. I now feel more confident in speaking up, pitching ideas, and mobilizing others around civic initiatives like participatory budgeting and financial literacy.
Huge thanks to C.I.P. Citizens in Power for making this experience possible! Their guidance, support, and trust in us were the foundation of this journey. I can’t wait to join more of their activities in the coming months and help amplify the impact of this amazing project.
Panagiotis Louka, 27, Master’s Student in Denmark (Business & Entrepreneurship)
Participating in the FLIP Project study visit in Porto was a powerful experience that exceeded my expectations. Coming from a background in business entrepreneurship and now continuing my studies at the Master’s level in Denmark, I’ve always been drawn to innovation and collaboration. However, I had never come across participatory budgeting in practice until this visit. Seeing it implemented at the local level in Portugal where citizens, especially young people, have a say in how public funds are spent, opened my eyes to how democratic participation and financial literacy can go together.
Although I had no previous experience with participatory budgeting or financial literacy programs, the workshops and simulations we experienced during FLIP gave me the foundation to understand and apply these ideas. I was especially motivated by the group discussions where we shared creative proposals for public spending. It became clear that this method doesn’t just teach financial responsibility, it builds stronger communities. I now feel a strong responsibility to share what I’ve learned with others in Cyprus, especially my friends and local municipality, where most people are still unaware of these types of EU-funded initiatives. The entire experience was made even more meaningful by the connections I made along the way. I met young professionals from across Europe, exchanged ideas, and found new inspiration for my academic and personal goals.
Christoforos Malekos, 24, Programme & Office Manager at Junior Achievement (JA) Cyprus
The FLIP Project study visit in Porto offered a rare opportunity to step outside of my organizational role and see financial literacy and participatory budgeting through a new, international lens. With a background in Business and Public Administration and several years of hands-on experience delivering financial education programs at Junior Achievement Cyprus, I was already familiar with the challenges surrounding youth financial empowerment. However, what I experienced in Portugal took these concepts to a whole new level.
Participatory budgeting, in particular, was a concept I had only explored from a distance. Witnessing how municipalities and local youth collaborate in Portugal to co-design funding priorities was truly eye-opening. It confirmed my belief that financial literacy cannot exist in a vacuum, but it must be connected to real-world participation and civic responsibility. During the workshops, I was especially inspired by the youth-led simulations, where we worked collaboratively on budget proposals. I saw how these methods could be adapted and scaled to enhance our existing programs at JA Cyprus.
Beyond the structured sessions, the visit offered a vibrant space for professional exchange. I connected with youth workers, educators, and community leaders from across Europe who have the shared goal of empowering young people through education and participation. The beautiful city of Porto and the welcoming local hosts only deepened the experience, providing a setting where creative dialogue and innovation thrived.
This visit has given me fresh strategies and frameworks that I am eager to integrate into our educational initiatives in Cyprus. I look forward to presenting new ideas to my team , enriching our financial literacy curricula with participatory elements that reflect European best practices.
Sofia Pravdenko Alexandrou, 18, Student at the Grammar School
The FLIP Project study visit in Porto was one of the most exciting and eye-opening things I’ve ever done. As someone who just finished school and is still figuring out what direction to take, this experience felt like a spark. It combined economics, tech, creativity, and social impact into one powerful week that made me feel seen and capable. Before the visit, I had no clue what participatory budgeting even meant, and now I know that it can transform communities, especially in Cyprus.
During the sessions, I found myself asking questions I never thought I’d be interested in. What if young people helped decide how school budgets are spent? What if financial literacy was fun and creative instead of intimidating? From coding my own app to help autistic individuals communicate, to drawing cartoons in my spare time, I’ve always tried to use creativity for good. The FLIP project showed me that real change can also come from knowing how to make your voice count in decisions that matter.
The city of Porto was full of color, energy, and kindness. I met so many amazing people who inspired me with their stories and ideas. I’ve already made new international friends and I want to keep in touch or even collaborate in the future. I want to keep learning about financial literacy and participatory democracy, and maybe one day even help bring youth-led budgeting projects to my school or neighborhood. This visit helped me see that the path forward doesn’t have to be one thing, it can be many things. And I’m so grateful I got to experience that feeling with people who believed in me.
