Cidade Social awarded the Praia da Vitória City Council four municipal excellence awards in the categories of social action, education, culture, and tourism.
The awards were given to the educational program “Jovens em Ação” (Youth in Action), the social program “Cuida +” (Take Care +), Casa Vitorino Nemésio, and the literary festival Outono Vivo (Living Autumn).
The management of Cidade Social presented the “Gold Seals” to the Mayor of Praia da Vitória, Vânia Ferreira, on April 29 in Vila Nova de Poiares.
“These distinctions are important because they highlight the projects and programs we develop in our territory, making them known beyond our borders,” said Vânia Ferreira.
Praia’s mayor said, “In the case of ‘Cuida +’ and ‘Jovens em Ação’, we are talking about social and educational support projects that represent a very important contribution to our communities.”
“In the case of the Outono Vivo literary festival, the award recognizes the event, whose quality and scale have been widely recognized, and in the case of Casa Vitorino Nemésio, its role in promoting the life and work of the Praia writer and its importance in local and island tourism,” she added.
The “Selos de Ouro” (Golden Seals) recognize good practices and the quality of municipal activities and programs. This is the third edition of the awards.
According to Cidade Social, the projects presented by the Praia da Vitória municipality will be included in the Observatório da Dinâmica das Autarquias Portuguesas (Observatory of the Dynamics of Portuguese Municipalities), a national platform that brings together examples of excellence, innovation, and good practices in local government.
“The work carried out in the areas of social action, tourism, culture, and education by the Praia da Vitória City Council demonstrates a solid strategy committed to promoting the integrated and dynamic development of the municipality, placing people at the center of public policies and reinforcing the role of the municipality as an active agent of social and territorial transformation,” said Cidade Social in a statement about the awards.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.