UP2YOUth

Up 2 You(th)!

Youthfully Yours SK in cooperation with the organizations Armenian Progressive Youth and Center for Intercultural Dialogue
are entering into a strategic partnership called Up 2 You(th)!

Goals of Up 2 You(th)!:
It will strengthen civic engagement and active citizenship among young people, including youth from less privileged to marginalized backgrounds.
The project will increase the participation of youth and youth organizations in shaping youth policies.
It will enable the exchange of know-how and examples of good practice among organizations actively working with young people from Armenia, North Macedonia, and Slovakia.

Sub-goals of our partnership:

• We will identify the main obstacles to youth participation through the questionnaire "Youth Participation in Community Life".

• We will train 15 youth workers and education sector stakeholders on how to strengthen participation among young people; especially young people inactive at the local level, including youth from less privileged to marginalized backgrounds.

• Within the involved organizations, we will exchange knowledge about new forms of youth participation and active citizenship, including so-called digital participation.

• We will provide youth workers and representatives of youth organizations with tools and methods suitable for implementing activities that develop participation and active citizenship among young people.

• Among the involved organizations, we will share proven methods, tools, training materials, and examples of good practice in strengthening youth participation and active citizenship.

• We will support youth workers and representatives of youth organizations to incorporate the principles of youth participation into their regular activities, including their regular activities with young people.

Expected results:

o At least 300 young people from Slovakia, Armenia, and North Macedonia responded to the questionnaire "Youth Participation in Community Life".

o 15 youth workers and education sector stakeholders are trained to implement focus groups. Focus groups are organized in local communities after analyzing the questionnaire results.

o The needs and obstacles to youth participation at the local level were identified through the questionnaire and focus groups. The results are communicated to representatives of local governments and other relevant stakeholders from the 3 participating countries.

o At least 10 local workshops address the needs and obstacles to youth participation identified through the questionnaire and focus groups. Workshop focus: active citizenship, civic engagement. At least 250 people from all participating countries were involved in the activities.

o A report containing recommendations for strengthening youth participation, including supporting the involvement of young people inactive at the local level, was communicated to representatives of local governments and other relevant stakeholders at local and national levels.

o Events aimed at disseminating project results were organized in all participating countries. Representatives of public administration, as well as the private and third sectors, were present at the events.

• Through the "Effective Participation" training, 15 youth workers and education sector stakeholders increased their competencies for strengthening participation among young people; especially young people inactive at the local level, including youth from less privileged to marginalized backgrounds.

• Participants of the "Effective Participation" training incorporated the acquired educational methods and tools into their regular activities, including their regular activities with young people.

• The training participants acquired educational methods and tools necessary for implementing local workshops that address the identified needs and obstacles to youth participation.

• Organizations from the three countries exchanged knowledge about new forms of participation and active youth citizenship, including so-called digital participation. Representatives of the organizations shared proven methods, tools, training materials, and examples of good practice in strengthening youth participation and active citizenship.

The project is co-financed by the European Commission's Erasmus+ program, administered by IUVENTA - Slovak Youth Institute. The European Commission's support for the project's activities and outputs does not constitute an endorsement of the content, which reflects only the views of the partners, and the Commission is not responsible for any use of the information contained in the outputs of this project. 2020-2-SK02-KA205-002569