One of the conference’s most innovative aspects of the conference is the establishment of a dedicated space for active youth participation known as the Espazo Xove (Youth Space). This initiative stems from the shared ambition of all organizers to connect science with the wider population.
Espazo Xove facilitates adolescent engagement through their attendance in various conference sessions and provides a physical space for a diverse range of activities including workshops, poster presentations, talks, and roundtable discussions. The primary objective of this space aims is to bridge the gap between the conference and the educational community associated with the participants.
Espazo Xove is the result of a project taking place in the city of Pontevedra during the academic year 23/24, called Postgrowth SA: Pontevedra. It is a citizen science project funded by the FECYT (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology) within the field of social sciences. The project’s aim is to generate knowledge on how to foster flourishing in cities without the constraint of economic growth. Throughout the academic year, first-year high school students and faculty members will assume the roles of social scientists and actively participate in the research. Additionally, the project receives support from the European project ERC Starting Grant PROSPERA "Prospering without growth: Science, Technology, and Innovation in a post-growth era" (GA 947713). Espazo Xove will enable all participants to disseminate the research results and engage with various sectors of society, including political, administrative, business, and academic domains.