Rural Learning Center
In the village of São Luís, we welcome and facilitate experiences rooted in the territory, which nurture purpose, people, and landscapes.
Join us on our Re.Rural journey:
Regenerating, Reactivating, Rejuvenating and Reconnecting Rural Landscapes .
Cooperation
Regeneration
Learning to live relationships of interdependence in a healthy way; with ourselves, with others and with the world.
Taking care of the common resources of this planet for ourselves and future generations, reconciling ourselves with the Earth and life.
Conscience
Resilience
Adapting to change and increasing diversity through inclusion and intergenerational and intercultural cohesion.
Community
REconnection
Belonging to a collective, being able to share experiences and learning to improve the health and sustainability of our communities.
Dealing with complexity and uncertainty requires our presence to take the right actions at the right time.
Remembering natural rhythms and cycles, being aware of our connection to all life, the Earth, and our neighbors.
Our purpose
The Co.Re Center is a Rural Learning Center located in the innovative village in Transition - São Luís - in the Southwest Alentejo.
The Rural Learning Centre - Co.Re - has been inspired by the Ecoversities Alliance. This alliance is committed to radically RE-imagining education to cultivate human and ecological flourishing.
The Co.Re Center REimaginates a learning center that is: a living space, where COoperation and REgeneration are the forces that shape every action. In the educational programs we carry out, we intend that knowledge is not only transmitted, but Relearned in a Collaborative way. Our educational experiences are aligned with the experience of our Community of Aldeia de São Luís and its RESILIENT dynamics. And in all our projects we aim to cultivate the REConnection of ecological CONSCIOUSNESS through learning experiences focused on the agroecological transition.
How do we want to achieve change?
through Re-Ruralization
So that rural ways of life can flourish through
Reactivation, Rejuvenation, Reconnection and Regeneration
of rural landscapes.
Rejuvenate
Regenerate
Social Dimension
We rejuvenate the social fabric with learning programs that inspire and empower new generations. We train young community leaders, prepared for life and rooted in caring for the land and their territories.
Economic Dimension
We revitalize the rural economy with regenerative residential experiences, co-created with the community of the village of São Luís and in harmony with nature. We promote ways of living and producing that generate value for all beings, human and non-human.
Reactivate
Ecological dimension
We regenerate the territory through the Learning Forest, a space where nature is the teacher and we are all learners . On 1.5 fertile hectares, we cultivate an agroforestry system with more than 220 species, in a food production model that cares for the land and the people.
Reconnect
Cultural Dimension
We reconnect people and projects through meetings, practices, and dynamics that strengthen bonds and create synergies. Re.RuRal Ecosystem: a collaborative guild of organizations and communities that cooperatively lead this movement.
Regenerative Care
Positive impact on the Earth , the local community , and the participants.
We believe that welcoming with awareness transforms everything:
The territory, the relationships, the economy, and even time.
Together, we create vibrant and regenerative experiences, where everyone...
— visitors and residents — leave in greater abundance, more
Connected and more inspired.
We are learning, step by step, what it means to regenerate.
We don't have all the answers, only the genuine desire to...
to take care of this place that is our village and leave it better than
that we found it.
Sleeping
We have fully equipped rooms to accommodate groups who want to carry out learning experiences in the village of São Luís .
Purposeful logistics
Customized agroecological logistics for each group, promoting regeneration and a collaborative local economy.
Facilitation
We offer personalized facilitation services; we have a pool of trainers and facilitators experienced in multiple methodologies and practices.
Our services
- Reactivate -
Our Space
 A nossa cozinha |  A entrada principal |  "Aqui é o nosso lar" |  O nosso espaço tem capacidade para albergar 22 pessoas, com 6 quartos dormitórios devidamente equipados e 4 casas de banho partilhadas. |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sala de atividades de madeira acolhedora,150 metros de espaço. Acesso: Projetor, coluna de som, microfone, almofadas, tapetes de yoga |  Jardim acolhedor que potencializa o convívio e a amizade |
Every time you spend money
You are casting a vote.
for the kind of world you want"
Anna Lupp
Purposeful logistics
Every detail of the experience is designed so that groups not only visit, but truly connect with the village and the landscape. How?
Breakfast at our village cafes: The group meets local faces, feels the rhythm of the land , and begins the day connected to the place.
Lunch at the regenerative cooperative , prepared by the agroecological kitchen of Espaço Nativa: each ingredient is chosen intentionally — where it comes from, how it was grown, and its impact on the landscape and soil health.
Dining with cooks connected to agroecological practices or experiences with village families: authentic flavors that create cultural and emotional bridges, and strengthen the living fabric of the community.
Agroecological Meals
Facilitation
We support groups, teams, and communities to work in a more collaborative, aligned, and meaningful way .
Facilitation creates safe and participatory spaces where people can listen to each other, make decisions together, solve challenges, strengthen relationships, and co-create solutions. With a strategic approach, we help you nurture the quality of your group's relationships and culture—so that your shared purpose can flourish.
We facilitate meetings such as:
Team meetings and strategic alignment sessions .
* Community assemblies and public consultation processes
* Co-creation and planning retreats
* Intergenerational or intercultural encounters
Group dynamics at festivals and events
* Moments of transition, mediation, or conflict management
* Participatory workshops for shared vision and purpose
If you're starting a project, going through a transition, or simply want to strengthen your team, we're here to support more conscious and effective processes.
Areas of Expertise
Co-creation of experiences and events
Designing and facilitating meaningful encounters where active participation, creativity, and a sense of community meet. From retreats to festivals, conferences, or citizen assemblies—everything can be co-created.
Team building
Activities and dynamics that strengthen cohesion, trust, and communication among team members. Essential for creating more resilient, aligned groups with a shared sense of mission.
Local & Community Development
Support for initiatives aimed at the flourishing of territories and communities through collaborative processes, sustainability, and local regeneration. Work rooted in active listening and the valuing of local resources and knowledge.
Strategic leadership in deep ecology
Support for leaders who integrate strategic vision with ecological awareness, regenerative practices, and relational intelligence, in service of the common good and life.
"Suppose the goal of an educational system is for people to work cooperatively in the community while exploring their individual potential for creative participation in developing and maintaining a sustainable relationship with the natural world."
Brian Goodwin
projects
Positive impact on Earth and the local community.
and the participants
Learning experiences
Positive impact on Earth and the local community.
and the participants
We rejuvenate the social fabric with learning programs that inspire and empower new generations. We train young community leaders , prepared for life and rooted in caring for the land and their territories.
Re.Rural Ecosystem
Positive impact on Earth and the local community.
and the participants
We reconnect people and projects through meetings, practices, and activities that strengthen bonds and create synergies.
Re.RuRal Ecosystem: a collaborative guild of organizations and communities that cooperatively lead this movement.
Positive impact on Earth and the local community.
and the participants
A Journey of Inspiration and Transition through the Alentejo
The Re.RuRal Caravan is an immersive and transformative experience that travels through the heart of the Alentejo region, connecting three villages undergoing regeneration.
More than a trip, it's an invitation to explore ways of living and coexisting that embrace the social, ecological, cultural, and economic transition of rural areas.
Positive impact on Earth and the local community.
and the participants
Edible forests
Positive impact on Earth and the local community.
and the participants
We regenerate the territory through the Learning Forest, a space where nature is the teacher, and we are all learners. On 1.5 fertile hectares, we cultivate an agroforestry system with more than 220 species, in a food production model that cares for the land and the people.
This territory is also our home — a space for ecological and human experimentation, where we cultivate healthy relationships with the land and with each other.
All the groups we welcome are welcome to live a practical and transformative experience, rooted in this vibrant place.
Beyond the forest, the space houses self-sufficient structures, designed in harmony with natural cycles. They invite a simpler, more conscious life, deeply integrated with the environment that welcomes us.
Scholarship-funded volunteer program | 2 weeks (March 28 to April 11) | fully funded – in the São Luís ecosystem.
Project “Regenerar Odemira” – Supported and developed by: European Solidarity Corps & Odemira Municipal Council
The Regeneration Rural CAMP is a 2-week volunteer program that invites you to step out of your routine, slow down, and immerse yourself in the life of a vibrant rural village: São Luís, in the municipality of Odemira.
Here, you will experience deep immersion in a living territory, where nature, community, and both traditional and emerging ways of life come together toward a rural future.
Activities include:
-
Developing an agroecological garden
-
Creating an artistic labyrinth
-
Community-based activities
Our team
Rafaela Leal
Community facilitator and co-founder of the Co.Re Center. She is dedicated to strengthening the connection between nature and humankind, promoting regenerative practices and community participation in rural contexts.
José Donado
Social architect and co-founder of the Co.Re Center, he nurtures the growth of rural communities through cultures of cooperation and regeneration.
Collaborative Economy
"In an interconnected world, true success is not just about what you earn, but about the positive impact you create for everyone around you ."
Tim Brown