Name:

Next STEP to Europe

Program:  CERV – Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values 2021-2027.
Project Leader: Stowarzyszenie Rozprawy o Europie
Duration: 1.05.2024 – 30.10.2025

Partners :

Project description:

The “Next STEP to Europe” project is a sequel to the “First STEP to Europe” project. Like its first version, the project aims to increase young people’s awareness of participation, democracy, the functioning of the European Union and its future. Other topics covered by the project include climate and environment, and even disinformation.

Project goals:

-Raising youth awareness of the European Union

-Discussion on the future of the EU

-Creating an informed and educated society

-Familiarizing young people with important topics such as democracy, solidarity, climate, environment, disinformation

-Dialogue on the essence of democratic participation

Main activities:

-Eco-Festival – outside event regarding ecology, including discussions, debates, exhibitions, eco-actions

-Meetings in Poland, Spain, Italy and Greece

-UNconference – the unconference format creates space for peer-to-peer learning, collaboration, creativity and increase engagement as attendees provide the topics. This type of conference is entirely participant driven, so young people themselves will choose what they want to talk about. Discussions, working in groups, presentations, open space.

-Study visits

-Campaigns


Who among you remembers the “First STEP to Europe” project that we implemented in 2022 and 2023? Some of you probably started your adventure with us with this very project!

We have great news – we are officially announcing that the continuation of this project i.e. “Next STEP to Europe” has received funding from the EU program CERV – Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values 2021-2027.

We will implement the project in excellent partnership with our friendly organizations from Italy – MOH, Greece – Innovating Activities for Innovating People – Kdetyd, and Spain – IDEA Alzira. We officially start with the project from tomorrow and as part of the project we have ahead of us meetings in Poland, Spain, Italy and Greece during which we will hold competitions, festivals, anti-conferences, workshops, campaigns, study visits, as well as a concluding conference “I, a citizen of Europe”.

The project aims to raise awareness among young people on topics such as democratic participation, the future of the European Union, solidarity, climate and the environment, and countering misinformation.

1. Event in Poland

Between September 23rd and 27th, we hosted participants from Greece, Spain, and Italy in Starachowice as part of the “Next STEP to Europe” project.

During these few amazing days:

We participated in workshops on European citizenship. After a brief introduction where we had the chance to get to know each other better and share the good things that have recently happened to us, we moved on to discussing values. We chose cards from a set of values that resonated with us the most and then related them to the European context. It was inspiring to see how much we have in common! Together, we pondered what kind of citizen we feel we are. We collected ideas and wrote them down, and later, each of us defined to what extent, in percentage terms, we feel like a citizen of Europe. There were also discussions about the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The final task of the workshop was group work, where we worked on a social participation map. Each of us had the opportunity to share our story. We marked the places where our activist lives began, as well as places we feel most nostalgic about and love to revisit in our memories.

We met with the councilors of the Youth City Council of Starachowice. We learned about how youth participation works in Starachowice. The Youth Council members told us about their activities, projects, and about an incredible place called the Creativity Center “Pałacyk.” This is where their headquarters is located, and the space is tailored to the needs of young people. We had the chance to see it in person, play PlayStation, and even compete in table football!

We took part in an ANTI-CONFERENCE. We discussed what the European Union offers young people, the values of the EU, and its future. The idea behind the whole event was a unique approach to execution. It was the youth who decided how they wanted to discuss a particular topic and how to present it to the rest. Among the ideas were role-playing scenes, singing, and even storytelling. During the festival at IILO, we also got to learn about the cultures of our guests from Greece, Spain, and Italy. Students prepared tables with traditional snacks, and there were beautifully arranged decorations and costumes!

We visited the Eco School. The students presented modern classrooms to us and explained what learning in bilingual classes looks like. Together with our guests, we discussed ideas that could be implemented in such a place. We also addressed the issue of insufficient teaching staff in small towns across Europe. The students and school staff shared their ideas on how to impart knowledge to young people in an informal way.

We met with various organizations in Kielce. We started the day with a visit to the Youth Parliament of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. The councilors prepared workshops on social participation for us. We had the opportunity to network and discuss during a World Café session. At three tables, we discussed different levels of social activity—from the local to the European level. It was an incredible opportunity to exchange views in international teams, see the differences, but also find common features of EU countries. Next, we visited the Center for Non-Governmental Organizations. We learned how this place operates, and thanks to the hospitality of the staff, we had the chance to explore the entire building. Our last stop in Kielce was the newly opened office of the Creativity Works Europe Foundation. In a friendly atmosphere, we talked about how NGOs work, and to relax, we even sang a French song!

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.

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