Mentoring Community Strengthens Ties at the National UCP4MENTOR Meeting in Viseu

On 27 and 28 February, the city of Viseu hosted the UCP4MENTOR National Mentoring Meeting, which brought together around 50 students - Mentors and Mentees – from the four campuses of Universidade Católica Portuguesa: Braga, Lisbon, Porto and Viseu. The initiative, part of the UCP4SUCCESS project, sought to strengthen the Mentoring Network and deepen the connections between students who share the same mission of welcoming others and promoting academic success.

The programme began on 27 February with the opening session at the Seminário Maior de Viseu, where the coordination team of the UCP4SUCCESS project, accompanied by Father António Henrique, welcomed the participants. The first evening was devoted to socialising and discovering the city. After an early supper enlivened by Real Tunel Académico, the students walked the historic streets of Viseu on a guided tour that offered a better knowledge of the local heritage and created moments of closeness between the different groups.

The following morning was dedicated to training activities and teamwork. Through the escape game “Growing Together and Strengthening Relationships”, participants tested their communication, cooperation and problem-solving skills in scenarios inspired by the mentoring context. The activity also invited reflection on ethical decision-making and the guiding principles of peer support.

This was followed by the training session “Growing with Purpose”, led by Célia Ribeiro, Cristina Palmeirão and Maria Leonor Esteves (SOS Caloiro, Viseu), which challenged students to rethink the concept of personal and academic success. The session also included a round table with mentors from Braga, Porto, Lisbon and Viseu, who shared experiences, challenges and lessons learned from the role of peer support.

For many participants, the meeting stood out above all as an opportunity to create new connections within the mentoring network. Isabella Chaves, a student from Braga, described the experience as particularly special: “It was really good to meet other mentors and mentees, talk, exchange ideas and feel the group’s good energy. I left with a warm heart”.

Paula Rodrigues, a mentee in Viseu (SOS Caloiro), also stressed the value of the initiative for better understanding the role of mentoring in the academic journey: “The event made it possible to meet students from different degree programmes and campuses and to better understand the importance of peer mentoring in integrating new students. There were moments of genuine sharing and conversations that helped create new connections”.

For mentor Maria Leonor Esteves (SOS Caloiro, Viseu), the meeting had a broader significance: “It was a space for sharing, learning and connection between students from different backgrounds and campuses. We left with new perspectives and renewed motivation”, she said, stressing the role of mentoring in building stronger academic communities.

The meeting ended with a lunch, closing two days of socialising, work and sharing. The initiative was developed in partnership with the Academic Association, the University Chaplaincy, the Higher Education Pastoral and the Municipality of Viseu.

This event reaffirms Universidade Católica Portuguesa’s commitment to an integrated educational project and to strengthening peer mentoring, consolidating a network in which closeness between students translates into support and growth throughout the academic journey.

This project is supported by the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) and the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).