Youth empowerment Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Fellows eapcivilsociety.eu

Stop Bullying/Cyberbullying in Schools

The action aimed to tackle bullying/cyberbullying in schools of Cantemir district. To raise the issue on top of the agenda, Victoria undertook a special course in Italy specifically tailored to bullying and then, delivered training for teachers and school management in her region. More precisely, she trained the Principals, Vice-Principals, and the Presidents of the Student Council from all the gymnasiums of Cantemir district on the phenomenon of bullying and its mitigation measures. To minimize the violence at schools, Victoria engaged the local District Board of Education in the project. On top of that, the action held the anti-bullying and anti-violence campaign at 3+2 schools with the highest rate of bullying cases in Cantemir district.

The project raised awareness of approximately 100 School Managers (School Principals, Vice-Principals and Presidents of the Student Council) and more than 1,200 pupils on bullying and its prevention. The workshops facilitated discussions and dialogue between teachers and students. Therefore, the recommendations sent to the local District Board of Education brought the government bodies into the discourse of tackling violence at the middle educational institutions. Thus, as a result of the anti-bullying campaign, five schools exhibited 20 motivational posters promoting kindness and respect for each other. The action built the capacity of Victoria since she had an opportunity to travel to Italy and raise her qualification in the issue.

Project in media:

Fenomenul “Bullying-ului în școli” studiat în raionul Cantemir

Country	Moldova
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Educational Programme for Strengthening the Role of New Generation in Decision-Making Process

The action aimed to strengthen the role of the young people in the decision-making process by introducing a comprehensive educational program for the local youth in Ukraine. To achieve the above objective, Yaroslav learned and disseminated the Danish model of the DAOS (Diversity Ambassadors Open School) approach and strategy. To study good practices and Danish youth empowerment methods, Yaroslav visited an arts college – Hojskolen Snoghoj and Danish National Youth Council. Both institutions share efficient methods of empowering a new generation and strengthening youth participation on local and national levels. After the field visit, Yaroslav developed the local “DAOS” program along with seven alumni (aged between 14-17) of Youth organization “STAN” and designed for the three Ukrainian cities of Ivano-Frankivsk, Sloviansk, and Zhmerinka.

The action raised awareness of 550 youngsters in three Ukrainian cities of Sloviansk, Zhmerinka and Ivano-Frankivsk by the 3-month Diversity Ambassadors Training Program. Nowadays, the project participants represent a network of more than 100 active citizens calling themselves the Diversity Ambassadors. From 2019, they are promoting human rights, gender equality and tackling climate challenges in their communities all over Ukraine. In addition, the training delivered by Yaroslav at the Youth Climate festivals and the Cultural Management Schools promoted youth engagement in the larger audience.

A number of stories about the impact of independent groups of youth and youngsters where published on STAN website:

Apart from empowering local youth, the action built the capacity of Yaroslav since he enjoyed an opportunity of pursuing a field trip to Denmark and attending Eastern Partnership Youth Summer School 2019 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Country	Ukraine
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Increasing the Leadership Potential of Adolescents Studying at Vocational Schools

The action aimed to increase the leadership potential of adolescents/students of vocational schools within a non-formal education program Development Studies. The project brought together 50 students (aged from 14 to 25) in Kyiv who endeavored to improve the personal and social competencies. Hence, Katerina organized five one-day training sessions covering the trending topics, including social change, public activism, youth participation, creative thinking, and social project visibility. The young leaders applied newly-developed skills in practice and brainstormed/implemented ten socially-beneficial initiatives in their communities. Finally, the project deliverables and action results were assessed at the final event engaging all project beneficiaries.

The project produced a training program Development Studies, tailored to enhance the personal, social, and leadership skills of the young people. The action delivered five thematic training and raised awareness of the 50 young students in the Kyiv region, Ukraine. The training sessions served as a platform to discuss the social challenges faced by the local community, develop creative thinking, brainstorm special methods (SMART, Mind Map, Skill Swap) of the project management. As a result, the participants of the Development Studies program developed a proactive attitude and implemented ten initiatives after the completion of the training.

Country	Ukraine
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Carrying out an evaluation of local youth work

The action aimed to evaluate a local youth work in the three South-Eastern regions (Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk) of Ukraine and determine youth in line with the state priorities as of May-November 2018. Also, the action addressed the problems, such as low quality of youth work management and low level of youth participation in the small Ukrainian communities. To achieve the above objectives, Valeria studied the Ukrainian and European Standards of youth work at the local level. Then, she contacted the regional Departments of Youth Policy and started to research the issue. Following this, she visited 8 Ukrainian towns (Including Mariupol, Melitopol, Zhovti Vody, Kramatorsk, Kamianske, Vasilievka, etc) and conducted focus groups in the field. Finally, she conducted an online survey of approximately 600 young people to define the qualitative trends and developed recommendations for the local authorities. In addition, Valeriia organized a roundtable to promote the survey results.

The action produced an analytical digest: “Youth Work in the South-Eastern Part of Ukraine: Current Status and Prospects.” The study reviews the local conditions for youth participation and youth infrastructure and suggests successful practices of youth work in the target regions. The electronic and printed (150 copies) versions of the report were distributed among the local city halls, governmental divisions, and partner organizations. All in all, the analytical paper and roundtable event served as an instrument to raise awareness of the local government, media, and other stakeholders in terms of challenges and mitigation measures to increase youth participation in Ukraine.

Country	Ukraine
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Energy efficiency for youth for sustainable future

The project Energy Efficiency Every Day aimed to raise awareness of young people in the middle schools on everyday energy-efficient behavior. To do so, Mykola organized three workshops within the pilot educational project “New Energy” for the different target audiences. The first workshop on Energy Efficiency, Practical Skills in Energy-Efficient Behavior in Everyday Life was delivered to elementary school students. It was followed by the second workshop for the secondary school student on the topic of Renewable Energy – the Main Measures of Energy Efficiency. Finally, the last two workshops on How to Calculate the Quantity of Lighting Required in the House – Practical Tips were conducted at the gymnasiums/lyceums. Along with educational activities, Mykola organized a round table to discuss the sustainability and significance of the New Energy pilot programs. Finally, he spent 3 weeks at the local non-profit organization Reanimation Package of Reforms (RPR Kyiv) to acquire practical experience and improve skills in communication and advocacy.

The action raised awareness of more than 100 students in energy efficiency and sustainability. Given that, interactive workshops enhanced young people’s understanding of everyday energy-efficient behavior following best European practices. Therefore, the project facilitated collaboration among the school administration, teachers, and the local authorities for future collaboration, as the roundtable initiated professional discussions on the “New Energy” pilot program and scientific center. The internship at the RPR Kyiv built capacity for Mykola, as he improved project management skills and extended his networks with sectoral experts, policymakers, and government officials.

Country	Ukraine
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Women Leadership Club

The project aimed to identify and empower young women in the Armavir Region (Armenia) and establish a network of young female leaders – Women Leadership Club. To build the capacity of the young women, and change the social stereotypes in the local community, Ozheni held a number of activities. First of all, she mobilized 24 young women from the local community and organized team-building training. Then, she conducted master-classes on human rights and leadership to raise awareness of the attendees in the above issues. Finally, she hosted a movie screening event followed by a public discussion on the role of the strong and independent women, their stories, impact and reflection. To make the voice of the young Armavir women heard throughout Armenia, she participated in the panel discussion in Yerevan attended by the representatives of more than 12 leading non-governmental organizations. In addition, she published a guideline on how to run women’s leadership clubs and distributed among the interested parties.

The action established the Women Leadership Club – an open and sustainable network of young women leaders who are ambitious and endeavor to enhance their skills. The club is active up to date and contributes to fostering young women’s empowerment across the country. Through the six interactive training, movie screening events and discussions, the project educated young women in human rights and increased their leadership skills. As a result, Ozheni identified and empowered 24 young women leaders from the Armavir region. The guidelines published within the project served as an instrument to inform a broader public on the technical and strategic issues of the CSO management. Finally, the project positively affected the local clichés about female roles and built confidence in the young women to take ownership of their lives, goals, and aspirations.

Country	Armenia
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Strengthening the Organization’s Capacity through Professionalizing its Workers

The project aimed to build capacity for members of the non-governmental organization – Ukrainian Youth Climate Association (UYCA). Established in 2014, the organization promotes green initiatives in Ukraine and beyond. Within the framework of the fellowship, Iryna organized training and two board meetings for ten core members. During the meetings, the board evaluated the project achievements in the previous year and approved the new strategic plan. The managers also reviewed the list of potential partners and projects to ensure compliance with the global climate movement agenda. To improve professional qualification in the field, Iryna completed a 1-month internship at the climate department of DRA Berlin (Deutsch-Russischer Austausch, ENG: German-Russian Exchange), which is a partner organization supporting the development of civil society in Eastern Europe.

The project built the capacity of the organization’s core members in management, facilitation, negotiation, strategic planning, and team-building via the managerial meetings. As an outcome of the above events, the organization developed three project proposals, out of which one was approved and financed by the donor. Also, the organization developed a new strategy and action plan for the forthcoming years. Distance work and collaboration with the non-governmental organization Cooperation and Development Network (CDN) facilitated the regional partnership between those two CSOs. On top of that, a 1-month internship at the climate department of the DRA Berlin (Deutsch-Russischer Austausch, ENG: German-Russian Exchange) increased awareness of Iryna in the field of international civil society organizations work in regard to climate change and sustainability.

Country	Ukraine
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Young Changemakers of Dilijan

The project Young Change-makers of Dilijan was a capacity-building initiative engaging up to 50 teenagers from the town of Dilijan. To empower the local youth, Taguhi held workshops on various trending topics, such as active citizenship, human rights and equality, cultural diversity, tolerance, and volunteering. The young people attended the training on project management, budgeting, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and community outreach that increased their qualifications and practical skills. As a result of the interactive sessions and brainstorming, seven groups proposed and implemented their social projects. Given that, the fellowship formed an active group of Dilijan (long-time residents and newcomers) and created an inclusive platform in the local community center.

The training increased the awareness of 50 young teenagers of Dilijan, who proposed and implemented seven social initiatives. Thus, the project stimulated beneficiaries’ aspirations towards self-development, civic engagement, leadership, networking, and project management. Young people learned how to engage in participatory decision making at family and community levels by applying tools learned during the program. Taguhi promoted the concept of volunteering in the local community, as the engaged teenagers actively participated in the social projects during and after the fellowship action.

Country	Armenia
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