Created in 2019, Porto Disconnect promotes face-to-face activities during breaks, encouraging students to put aside their electronic devices and connect with their peers in a more meaningful way. The project offers daily games, sports and cultural activities designed to provide moments of fun and integration between students, strengthening the sense of community and interpersonal relationships within the school environment.
Porto Disconnect has recently been expanded with the active participation of students in the process of raising awareness about mobile phone use. This educational and collaborative approach included a student-led survey that identified the benefits of staying offline during breaks and suggested workshops and recreational, cultural and sporting activities.
The activities involve students from Elementary, Middle and High School and cover a range of sports including football, volleyball, badminton and footvolley. There are also spaces dedicated to artistic and cultural initiatives, such as storytelling, a reading club, a creative arts workshop, chess championships, board games, a talent show, Just Dance and jewellery, folding and cupcake workshops. Many of these projects were conceived by the students themselves, helping to make the breaks even more dynamic and inclusive.