The Citizens Xelerator project, coordinated by Mentortec, has won the 2025 Grundtvig Prize from the European Adult Education Association (EAEA), in recognition of its transformative impact on adult education and training.

The award ceremony took place during the EAEA Annual Conference, which was held in Leipzig, Germany, from 3 to 4 June 2025. Marta Reis and Andreia Monteiro, representing Mentortec, received the award from Lauri Tuomi, President of the Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation and EAEA President.

The Grundtvig Prize was created to honour excellence and innovation in adult education. It highlights the Citizens Xelerator project for its flexible learning path, which focuses on civic and democratic empowerment in a community context.

“Receiving this award is a significant milestone for Mentortec and for us, as it recognises the transformative impact and innovation of Citizens Xelerator,” said Marta Reis. “We have demonstrated that combining creativity with practicality successfully supports inclusion and democratic engagement. “

Marta Reis

Active citizenship with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Inspired by the approach often applied in entrepreneurship, the project proposes a training model based on three main stages:

1. Spotting challenges and opportunities: think tank sessions for the identification of problems in local communities

2. Into action : microlearning sessions to work on financial, digital, sustainability, media, democratic and health literacy to support adults in planning civic initiatives to overcome local problems

3. Mobilisation of resources – guidance and activities to work on self-regulation, flexibility, empathy, collaboration, communication, empathy, growth mindset and managing learning to empower adults in promoting civic engagement and mobilisation to celebrate diversity, democracy and social participation.

These activities were promoted in 8 Citizens Xelerator Action Labs established in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Romania, Croatia and Germany and with the support from a network of 69 organisations.

“This journey began three years ago with a team of dreamers who decided to build a project to guide adults to be “entrepreneurs of themselves”,’ shared Andreia Monteiro during the award ceremony. ‘Together, we’ve managed to make a difference to around 1900 adults who have taken part in sessions, actions and celebrations.”

Andreia Monteiro

A growing movement.

With an inclusive, collaborative and results-orientated approach, Citizens Xelerator has established itself as a true catalyst for social change. The project has already left a positive mark on hundreds of local communities and aims to continue growing.

“Citizens Xelerator is a project conceived by dreamers, implemented by Xelerators and embraced by adults!”

Mentortec

Check the project’s resources and activities at the website and Facebook page.