photo by Tati Abreu
Geração GSA is the version of the Warriors Without Weapons programme for young leaders aged 14 to 17.
The programme enables young people to experience first-hand what it is like to be in safe communal spaces, where they are listened to, welcomed and valued, allowing them to express themselves authentically. Young people tell us that this completely changes the way they engage with the world.
We support adolescent development on four fronts: self-awareness, healthy and diverse relationships, social impact, and a connection with nature.
Self-awareness
Get to know your emotions, your potential and your limits, and discover how to bring them to life.
Healthy and diverse relationships
Enjoy a safe, communal environment, listen more attentively and connect with people who are very different from you.
Social impact
Get stuck in to make a dream come true, learn a social methodology through hands-on experience and take part in a collective initiative.
Connection with nature
Learn from nature and the ancestral wisdom of the land, and connect with your own nature.
The immersion course lasts eight days. The programme begins before that and continues afterwards.
2
online sessions
Preparation
So that the class can get to know one another, ask any questions and pack their bags.
8
days in Santos
Immersion
Between 20 and 30 young people living in a community and putting their potential to the test.
2
online sessions
Integration
To understand what happened, to hold on to what remains, and to decide what comes next.
What did everyone think?
“I got to know myself better, improved my communication skills and learnt to trust others more.”
on what they learnt
“It eases that ache of feeling alone and out of place.”
on why to do it
“For teenagers who are looking for answers.”
about who it’s for
We believe in the potential of teenagers!
Teenagers can, and should, start making their voices heard in the world right now.
“Geração introduced me to a side of Lara I didn’t know; it helped me a lot. I met so many wonderful people.”
LaraAge 15, Porto Alegre
“The problem with people of my generation is that we want everything straight away. I wish they had more courage to pursue their dreams and the determination to see them through.”
Léo SantosVila dos Criadores, Santos
“The GGSA helped me realise that I can, in fact, belong somewhere. It made me realise that I matter, that I make a difference in the world.”
Ana MenezesBaixada Santista
“The programme showed me that my fears and challenges aren’t just mine, that lots of people go through similar things, and that it’s better to be open about my emotions than to bottle them up.”
Maia HaberGeração GSA 2025, New York
“Geração GSA really transformed my ego, in fact, it shook it to the core. Before I went, I was absolutely certain I was right and wasn’t curious enough to question things and learn.”
Antônio SouzaGeração GSA 2023, Campinas
“At GGSA, I met people who had a stronger connection to Black culture than I did, and that reinforced my view of what it means to be a Black person and how we should be proud of who we are, regardless of what society imposes on us…”
Cássio VidalGeração GSA
We don’t want to ‘fix’ adolescence. We want to engage with it.
Adolescence is that time in life when everything feels overwhelming for the first time, and when hardly anyone asks how you’re really getting on.
What we offer is companionship: a group that listens without rushing, adults who are there for you without being overbearing, and the understanding that nobody has to go through anything on their own.
Psycho-emotional support
The team supports each young person throughout the programme, and there are people specifically on hand to help when emotions run high.
A safe space to feel
Emotions and crises are part of growing up. Here, they can happen with company, with people close by, rather than alone in your bedroom.
No one comes back the same, and no one comes back alone
The bonds formed in the class do not end when we say goodbye. Those bonds endure, and the team remains close by after the immersion programme.
For the family, the school or anyone else who will support this decision.
We believe in teenagers’ potential, and the whole programme is designed to bring that out.
The aim is for each participant to broaden their awareness of themselves and their surroundings, to develop a positive attitude towards their experiences, to acquire skills that enable them to cope with real-life situations, and to come away having learnt things they did not know before. The way to achieve this is through practice.
Letting a 14-year-old spend eight days away from home is a matter of trust. Here’s what you need to know before you say yes.
What we can tell you now
The group consists of between 20 and 30 young people. Accommodation is in Santos, in shared rooms with en-suite bathrooms, for seven nights. Three meals and two snacks are provided each day, and all transport during the immersion programme is organised by the Institute. The teaching framework, facilitation and materials are included.
The programme is run by the Education team at Instituto Elos, which has been applying the Elos Methodology for over 25 years, in more than 60 countries and over 1,000 communities. Geração GSA grew out of Warriors Without Weapons, the organisation’s international training programme, adapted for teenagers.
Immersion
Seven nights’ accommodation in a shared room with a shared bathroom. Three meals and two snacks a day. All teaching resources, including facilitation and materials. Transport for the eight days.
Before and after
The four online sessions, two preparation sessions and two follow-up sessions, with support from the team.
What is not included
Transport from home to the accommodation in Santos and back. The young person’s personal expenses during the programme.
Investment
R$ 5,500, payable in instalments.
Scholarship policy
Geração GSA wants a diverse cohort, and to this end offers scholarships. These are awarded on the basis of social justice criteria, with priority given to people from historically marginalised communities, ethnic backgrounds and cultures. If the programme is right for you but money is the limiting factor, please speak to the team before giving up.
The video showing our care process
Fancy taking a class?
Any school, college, foundation or company wishing to set up a group of teenagers should contact the Education team via the same channel. You can arrange a private class, a grant for a group, or simply find out whether the programme is suitable for the young people you work with.
Come and join the Geração GSA.
The application form is completed by the young person and confirmed by their guardian.