CHECK-IN Association

About CHECK-IN

Check-IN – Cooperation and Development is a nonprofit organization that believes in the power of learning, participation, and cooperation to create opportunities and transform communities. We work primarily with young people, adults, organizations, and professionals in the youth sector, promoting non-formal education, international mobility, volunteering, active participation, social inclusion, sustainability, and skills development. Based in Beja and Lisbon, we carry out local, national, and international initiatives, building bridges between people, organizations, and communities.

Young people at an international CHECK-IN activity

Who we are

Our story

Check-IN was founded in 2010 with the goal of creating new opportunities for learning and participation through national and international cooperation. Since then, we have built an extensive network of partners and developed projects in Portugal, Europe, and other regions of the world, including countries such as Brazil, Tanzania, Nepal, Argentina, Mexico, and Peru.

Over the years, we have grown alongside the people and communities we work with. From youth exchanges to training courses, from volunteer work to cooperation projects, from local initiatives to European projects, we remain true to the same core principle: creating experiences that foster learning, participation, and impact.

Today, Check-IN works directly with programs such as Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, holding Erasmus+ Youth accreditation for 2021–2027 and developing a broad network of cooperation with associations, municipalities, universities, schools, foundations, and other institutions.

450
Projects completed: 25
Countries involved: 5250
Participants involved: 2010
Active since

What drives us

A mission with impact

Our mission is INspiring YOUTH: to inspire young people to discover their potential, turn ideas into action, and actively participate in building their communities and a more inclusive, supportive, and sustainable society. We create opportunities to learn, experiment, participate, travel, collaborate, and grow, using non-formal education and intercultural learning as tools for personal and professional development. We aim to reach, in particular, those with limited access to opportunities, by breaking down geographic, social, and economic barriers and making participation and mobility more accessible. INspiring YOUTH is more than just a motto: it’s how we understand our work.

Our values

Participation - We encourage people to have a voice, take initiative, and play an active role in their communities.
Inclusion - We create accessible opportunities and value the diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and realities.
Cooperation - We believe that impact grows when people, organizations, and communities work together.
Learning - We promote lifelong learning through experience, non-formal education, and knowledge sharing.
Interculturality - We bring cultures together by promoting dialogue, understanding, and respect for differences.
Sustainability - We promote greater environmental awareness and forms of development that are responsible toward people and the planet.
Innovation - We experiment with new methodologies, tools, and ways to address the challenges faced by people and communities.
Impact - We work to ensure that each project leaves behind lessons, skills, and changes that endure beyond its duration.

Our people

Our team

Meet the people behind CHECK-IN's work.

Team

António Gomes

Project Manager

Founder and Director with a Master’s Degree in Management and Entrepreneurship and 25 years of experience in youth mobility. He is a project manager, international trainer and specialist in non-formal education. He is currently a member of the Pool of Trainers of the Portuguese Erasmus+ Youth/European Solidarity Corps National Agency and a Eurodesk Multiplier. Expertise: European project management and design, volunteering, facilitation, gamification, learning and team building.

Joana Galvão

Project Manager

President, holder of a degree (pre-Bologna) in Modern Languages and Literatures from the Faculty of Letters at the University of Lisbon and a postgraduate qualification in Youth Studies from the Aberta University of Lisbon. She has over 20 years’ experience in NGOs, the private and public sectors in the field of youth work. She held a technical coordination role for around 15 years in the Youth Department of Torres Vedras Municipality (PT). She has extensive experience in project management under the Escolhas Programme (PT), Erasmus+ Youth / Education and Training; the European Solidarity Corps; and CERV – Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values. Expertise: project management, civic education, non-formal education, decision-making processes, gender equality and interculturalism. She has experience of volunteering in Europe and Africa.

Nicola Ferretti

Project Manager

Vice-President, with a Master’s Degree in Economics and Management and a Master’s Degree in Quality Management in Tourism. Since 2011, he has worked in the field of youth mobility as a project manager and international trainer, with extensive experience in multicultural contexts. He specialises in non-formal education and participatory methodologies. Expertise: project management, facilitation, sustainability, creativity, social media, non-formal education and decision-making processes.

Duarte Alves

Project manager

Master in Strategic Communication from Örebro University. He has solid experience in social media management, digital content creation and storytelling. He took part in several Erasmus+ training courses and youth exchanges and volunteered in Bulgaria, promoting local traditions and cultures through online channels. Expertise: strategic and intercultural communication, visual storytelling, and dissemination and exploitation of European project results.

Rita Palma

Researcher

Researcher with experience in the development and implementation of European projects. Her work focuses on applied research, data collection and analysis, and the production of reports and scientific materials. She develops innovative methodologies and maps and shares good practices, supporting organisations and youth workers in implementing sustainable, evidence-based strategies. Expertise: research, project development, impact analysis, reporting and knowledge transfer.

Ricardo Cataluna

Project Manager

Holds a Master’s Degree in E-Learning Systems Management and a Degree in Languages, Literatures and Cultures. He is a European project manager with experience in training and communication, as well as in developing national and international initiatives. Expertise: digital communication, e-learning, social media, content creation, European affairs and event organisation, with extensive international experience.

Marta Rodrigues

Designer

Communication designer, Marta graduated in Communication Design from the Faculty of Fine Arts of Lisbon and has worked in the field since 2004. She has designed for banking, retail, major consumer brands, aviation, tourism, catering and events, giving her a global view of brands and projects. At Check-IN, she creates the visual identity of its European projects. Expertise: branding, graphic and editorial design, packaging, exhibition and event design, and graphic production.

Bruna Cunha

Project Manager

Holds a Degree in Design, Image and Visual Communication, with experience in content creation, digital communication, social media, training and team management. She has worked in multicultural environments in the United Kingdom and participated in an Erasmus+ project in Estonia. Expertise: content creation, digital communication, social media, event organisation, Photoshop and Premiere Pro.