When we talk about impact, we mean actions that remain: skills, awareness, support. That is why we are proud to announce that ESN Perugia received two international recognitions at Social Impact Days Autumn 2025, in ActiCom’s special Activity in the Spotlight edition.

This milestone is more than a celebration — it is a meaningful confirmation. It shows that initiatives created in our city, shaped with and for the international student community, can be recognised as outstanding examples of quality and purpose across the ESN Network.

What Activity in the Spotlight is — and why it matters

Activity in the Spotlight is an ActiCom initiative that highlights the most impactful activities organised by ESN sections, with the goal of sharing best practices and inspiring communities across the Network. Being selected and awarded sends a clear message: what we build in Perugia is meaningful, shareable, and valuable beyond our local context.

It brings international visibility to our section, but it also reinforces something we strongly believe in: the Erasmus experience is not only about events and social life — it is also about tools, prevention, care, and safe spaces.

Two awarded activities, one shared direction

Social Impact Days remind us that impact becomes real when it improves people’s lives — sometimes through simple actions that create lasting change. The two awarded activities reflect our direction clearly:

1) “SOS Erasmus: become a doctor for an hour and learn life-saving manoeuvres!” — Winner: Health & Well-being
An initiative designed to turn curiosity into competence: introducing international students to life-saving actions and essential emergency awareness, building confidence, preparedness, and shared responsibility. For us, health and well-being also mean empowerment — making practical knowledge accessible, and doing it in an inclusive, international environment.

2) “The Importance of Asking for Help” — Winner: Social Inclusion
A space created to normalise seeking support and reduce stigma around vulnerability, emotional struggles, and personal needs. During Erasmus, being far from home — navigating language, routines, and new environments — can be heavier than expected. Creating a space for listening and open conversation is inclusion in its truest form: helping people feel seen, validated, and supported.

What Social Impact Days mean for Perugia

Bringing Social Impact Days to the local level is not an “extra” in the calendar — it strengthens the quality of the Erasmus experience and the bond between international students and the local community. It means choosing initiatives that leave something behind:

  • real-life skills,

  • stronger awareness around health and well-being,

  • a culture of support and shared responsibility,

  • a human network that reduces isolation and distance.

In other words, SiDs are not only about “doing good”: they are about building communities that are safer, stronger, and more people-centred.

A recognition — and a commitment

We are proud of this double win, but we also see it as a responsibility: to keep designing activities that are meaningful, caring, and truly impactful. Because while this recognition brings international visibility to ESN Perugia, its deepest value is born locally — through teamwork, daily choices, and the trust our community places in us.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who organised, facilitated, communicated, and supported these initiatives. Thank you to every participant who engaged and contributed. This achievement is collective — and that is exactly what makes it so powerful.

What’s next?

This milestone is a boost forward. We look at the next Social Impact Days with a clear goal: to keep building initiatives that are accessible, practical, and genuinely useful — and to keep shaping an Erasmus experience that also means well-being, prevention, and inclusion.