In addition to supporting and promoting exploration work in Africa—highlighted by expeditions in Angola and Mozambique (e.g., Serpa Pinto, 1877–1879; Brito Capelo, 1877–1885; Roberto Ivens, 1877–1885; Henrique Dias de Carvalho, 1884–1888; Francisco Newton, 1880–1907; José Pereira do Nascimento, 1888–1911)—the SGL engaged in propaganda, education, and ideological activities throughout its history. In the realm of colonial propaganda , the Society organised various commemorations, where civic parades played a prominent role in mobilising masses around the nationalist and imperial identity of the nation. Notable commemorations included the tricentennial of Luís de Camões in 1880, the celebrations of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1894, the centenary of Vasco da Gama's voyage to India in 1897–1898, the centennial of Ceuta and Afonso de Albuquerque in 1915, and Vasco da Gama’s anniversary in 1924. The centennial celebrations of Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India in 1897–1898 led to the publication of historical and ethnographic works and culminated in the inauguration of the SGL’s headquarters on Rua das Portas de Santo Antão (1897). Fulfilling one of its educational purposes, the SGL established the Colonial School in 1906 (later elevated to the Higher Colonial School, which eventually became the Higher Institute of Social and Overseas Political Sciences, now known as the Institute of Social and Political Sciences), which remained housed within its facilities until 1934. In the domain of colonial ideology, the SGL launched the annual Colonial Week (renamed Overseas Week in 1952) in 1927 and initiated the School Exchange Programme in 1932. The School Exchange Programme aimed to establish correspondence between Portuguese children and youth on the mainland and their counterparts in autonomous regions, Portuguese colonies, or Brazil (the most popular destination, as evidenced by the letters exchanged). Colonial Week was organised more immediately and tangibly in schools, barracks, and various associations across the mainland (and to a lesser extent, in the colonies) through conferences, exhibitions, and film screenings on colonial subjects. By mobilising significant human resources under the jurisdiction of various ministries (National Education, Colonies/Overseas, Interior, among others), this initiative bolstered the SGL's public image as a civil institution dedicated to colonial education.

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