Program: Erasmus+, KA154-YOU – Youth Participatory Activities
Project Leader: Reflections on Europe
Project Duration: March 2024 – February 2026
Project Description:
Do you remember the “European Union from A to Z” project? It was one of our first projects, which we carried out in 2019-2021, and why are we mentioning it? Because we have great news for you – it has just lived to see its sequel!
Certainly the last 3 years have been challenging for everyone. COVID-19, the economic crisis, inflation and the war in Ukraine – these are topics that have dominated our lives. In the Collins dictionary, the word of the year for 2022 has become “permacrisis,” indicating an extended period of instability and uncertainty. We want to at least help young people overcome these difficult times. The motivations of our project
are rooted in the need to promote and strengthen participation in democracy and civic life by debating the future of Europe among young people who are the foundation of our Union.
The main goal of this local project is to engage young people between the ages of 15 and 20, especially those living in smaller towns and villages in the Świętokrzyskie Province. This diverse demographic group includes people facing various challenges related to health, geographic location, social situation, financial resources and ethnicity. The overarching goal is to actively engage and support these young people throughout the project.
Project goals:
-Engaging youth in social life and activity
-Supporting youth who face different obscatles
-Supporting and encouraging youth to be active and organize various actions, especially after pandemic period, when social activity was noticeably smaller
Main activities:
- Numerous workshops on the European Union, the way it functions and the opportunities it offers young people in various areas of life. Through the workshops we want to fill the gap in the programs of formal education and meet the expectations of young people and take a comprehensive approach to the subject of the European Union – from its history, institutions and values, to trying to answer the question of what is the future of the European Union and what is the role of young people in this process. At the workshop there will be time to take up the topics of ecology (the European Green Deal and the use of the “Eco Dictionary” tool, which we developed in a project with KA2 with a leader from Greece) and disinformation – particularly in terms of the war in Ukraine and interference in the EU’s democratic processes.
- Conducting a Campaign by our youth Ambassadors before the upcoming elections to the European Parliament (VI 2024) on the basis of the form developed at the workshop.
- Preliminarily, the youth proposed the following catalog of ideas: social media campaign including recording Tik Tokas/Reels (digital tools), organizing a contest of knowledge about the European Parliament, happenings, etc.
- Questionnaires – we intend to conduct consultative surveys among young people living in the Świętokrzyskie region regarding firstly the quality of life in the region (questionnaires developed by ROE and the Youth Parliament), and secondly regarding European issues (based on questions from the Eurobarometer). The survey will be conducted “offline” in institutions or at discussion meetings, and “online.” Thanks to the network of contacts that the partners have, the survey will be conducted in various institutions – schools, ngo’s, local governments, universities. We intend to reach 500 young people.
- A series of discussion meetings on topics of greatest interest to young people in the formula of education peer education in the presence of experts and decision makers in the world cafe formula
- A geocaching adventure – after finding the caches we have placed, those willing will be able to share their thoughts on the European Union
- Study workshops in Strasbourg – the main objective of the task is to build a sense of unity and make young people aware of the importance of the common good that is the EU and raise awareness about the EU. Additional goals: to improve participants’ language skills, improve soft skills, including intercultural skills, learn about new cultures and people, inspire young people to develop. The main result will be, above all, to show young people (with fewer opportunities, from small towns and villages) new opportunities and build a sense of Europeanness. For most participants, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see how EU institutions work. The visit will last 4 days, including 2 days of travel
- Study workshops in Brussels – As with Strasbourg, we want to introduce young people to the workings of the European Union and its various organs. We want to let young people see “from the inside” and “experience” what they hear about on TV, read on the Internet or learn at school. We are planning a preparatory meeting on the importance of the city in the context of the EU and its institutions – the EP, EC, EU Council, a visit to the EP, a guided walk, the Parlamentarium, the House of European History (European workshops), the Atomium, Station Europe, meetings with MEPs and experts,
- Anti-Conference on the Future of the EU – The format of the Anti-Conference creates a space for mutual learning, collaboration, creativity and increased engagement as participants present topics. This type of meeting is entirely participant-driven, so young people choose for themselves what they want to talk about.
What’s behind us?
1. Training “Me, European”
From May 10th to 12th, we held the “I, European” training in Wólka Milanowska as part of our project “The European Union from A to Z – Next Gen.”
We started the training by getting to know each other through various integration games and activities, which helped us strengthen our relationships and deepen our knowledge about one another.
Next, we expanded our knowledge in workshops led by Piotr Kaczyński, an expert on the European Union. Together, we had the opportunity to explore the basics of the history and development of the EU. The main goals of our workshops were to equip our Ambassadors with fundamental knowledge about the EU using non-formal education methods. As a result, we not only gained theoretical knowledge but also developed soft skills, such as teamwork, conducting discussions, constructive argumentation, critical thinking, and planning events and campaigns. There was also a discussion on European institutions.
Finally, we focused on planning pro-voter turnout and informational campaigns, the results of which you will soon be able to see. This is just the beginning of the project—stay tuned, because we will soon invite you to participate in more activities!
We are carrying out this project in partnership with the Youth Parliament of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship.
2. Pro-turnout campaign
On June 9th, 2024, European Parliament elections were held in Poland. A few weeks prior, our volunteers launched a voter turnout campaign on Instagram, aiming to encourage people to participate in the elections. The campaign began with a short quiz, featuring questions about the European Parliament. After each question, an explanation of the topic followed, allowing users to further deepen their knowledge in this area.
From May 21st to June 9th, our Instagram profile @rozprawyoeuropie featured daily posts from our volunteers answering the question, “Why are you voting in the European Parliament elections?” There were a total of 20 reasons presented, reflecting the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Poland’s accession to the EU in 2024. Starting June 6th, we also shared updates on which countries’ citizens were voting on specific days. On June 9th, we posted photos from polling stations sent by our adult volunteers. The day after the election, we published a summary of the campaign.
As part of the campaign, we posted 44 stories on our Instagram profile, with each story reaching around 250-300 people.
We believe that through our efforts, we encouraged our followers to vote in the European Parliament elections!
Instagram stories featuring the quiz with explanations, 20 reasons to vote, election updates from EU countries, voting photos, and a campaign summary: HERE.
3. Information campaign #1
In June 2024, young ambassadors from the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship carried out an information campaign focused on the values of the European Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Bartosz, Karolina, Armando, and Kamil started by planning the format, communication method, and the content for the campaign. The campaign’s content was shared on the Instagram profile @rozprawyoeuropie from June 17th to 24th.
For the first three days, the Instagram stories featured basic information and interesting facts related to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and EU values. On the fourth day, a quiz with multiple questions on the same topic was posted on the stories. As part of the campaign, the young ambassadors conducted a street survey to assess their peers’ knowledge in the areas covered by the campaign. The survey was published as a reel on Instagram. The campaign was summarized in a post.
The information campaign reached a broad audience – the street survey reel was viewed about 2,600 times by over 1,000 people and received 57 likes. The summary post was liked by 55 people and seen by 700 accounts. Each story containing educational content and quiz questions was viewed by around 300 people – data as of June 1st, 2024.
You can check out the results below:
- STREET SURVEY
- Stories containing facts and basic information on the Charter of Fundamental Rights and EU values, as well as the quiz: HERE
- SUMMARY POST
4. Information campaign #2
Świętokrzyskie is becoming increasingly eco-friendly! ????????
In July, we ran an informational campaign on our Instagram profile, prepared by Marcelina, Julia, Kuba, and Antek. From July 15-20, we posted daily ecological facts in our stories and also published four eco-challenges as part of a competition. On July 24, together with the Starachowice University of the Third Age, we organized an event to conclude the campaign. The meeting took place at the UTW headquarters!
At the start, @laszewicz.j introduced the aims and progress of the “EUAZ – Next Gen” project and the ecological campaign conducted in July by our youth ambassadors. Next, participants listened to a lecture by Ilona Witkowska from the Świętokrzyski Agricultural Advisory Center in Modliszewice on ecological farming methods ????. After that, our representatives discussed how to make daily life more eco-friendly ????. Following the theoretical part, it was time to put the acquired knowledge into practice – participants worked together to plant seeds that will soon sprout into chives, marjoram, and basil ????. These plants can be used to prepare various dishes. Growing herbs at home is an eco-friendly practice as it helps reduce consumption related to purchasing products from stores.
The meeting was a perfect opportunity to gain ecological knowledge and strengthen intergenerational cooperation. Seniors from Starachowice and youth from various parts of the Świętokrzyskie region participated in the event, including representatives from @mlodziezowy_sejmik ????????????
The event was funded by the European Union under the project “European Union from A to Z – Next Generation.” However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
To keep up to date with upcoming events under the “European Union from A to Z – a new generation” project, we encourage you to follow our website.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
