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Relatable, an Access Lab project focused on combating early school leaving, has just graduated its first cohort successfully. Registration is now open for the second edition, which will take the project to new territories.

The first graduate class exceeded expectations and validated the impact on the ground: over 80 hours of personalised mentoring, 10 mentors, and 32 young people with different disabilities, deafness and neurodivergence. Five inspiring guests were also present at the workshops on independent living, technology, well-being and capacitism.

Laura Santos, 17, says about the program: “It is a network, a family of people who understand how we feel. I'm learning a lot of new concepts, things I felt but didn't have a word to explain. I love my mentor and I would love for more people to have the opportunity to be part of this project. Do [the program]! They're only gonna win! You're going to win a new community, you're going to win new people. Take the risk!”

Relatable wants to combat the school drop-out rate of 21.4% (a figure 4 times higher than young people without disabilities) through training anchored in reference models. The programme fosters personalised mentoring, practical workshops, inspiring lectures, civic and leisure activities (volunteering, sport, culture), psychological support and an alumni network.

Registration for the second cohort is open at relatable.pt by 31 October. The programme runs from October 2026 to June 2027.

This is a social innovation project co-financed by Portugal Social Innovation and BPI La Caixa Foundation, Santander Foundation, Vasco Vieira de Almeida Foundation and CUF as social investors and strategic partners. In this second cohort, the Jornada Foundation also becomes a strategic partner for Relatable ensuring the possibility of expanding the number of young people and districts covered.

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