Empowering youth: Key achievements of Civic-EU

Empowering youth: Key achievements of Civic-EU

Civic-EU: Young Civic Monitors for the Future is a two-year project that brought together 33 young civic monitors and 10 youth workers from Romania, Italy, Greece, Latvia, and Slovenia. Through this initiative, over 350 young people, experts, public authorities, and youth representatives from Romania collaborated in events, workshops, and webinars to create a stronger framework for youth civic engagement.

The project focuses on empowering young people to monitor local public policies, facilitating dialogue with decision-makers, and providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to drive real change in their communities. Civic-EU was designed to foster long-term impact by bridging the gap between youth and institutions, ensuring young voices are heard in local and national policy discussions.

A National Approach

In September, we engaged with 25 students from Saint Sava National College in Bucharest to discuss the importance of youth civic engagement and how they can actively participate in their communities. The workshop allowed students to voice their concerns, from education policies, such as curriculum and high school exams, to broader issues like traffic and urban planning in Bucharest.

Students were encouraged to think critically about how they could address these challenges through civic initiatives and open dialogue with local authorities. We also shared the key outcomes of the Civic-EU project, which included:

• A set of 10 recommendations designed to enhance youth participation at the national level, offering a roadmap for inclusive and effective civic engagement.
• A video screening and debate, What does active civic participation mean to young people and why is it crucial? that led to insightful discussions about civic participation as both a right and a responsibility in shaping the future.
• The presentation of the report 50 Policy Recommendations for Enhancing Civic Engagement and Social Inclusion of Youth is a comprehensive project output that includes contributions from youth monitors across five countries. The report covers a wide range of issues, from improving access to civic education to fostering international collaboration and ensuring inclusivity for rural and marginalized youth.

A Transnational Approach

In October, we had the pleasure of meeting with over 90 high school and university students to discuss the Civic-EU project’s outcomes and explore ways for them to become more involved in their communities. The event featured valuable discussions with youth policy experts such as Valentina Ciobanu, Alin Grămescu (Station Europe), and Dragoș Dănilă (Young Initiative Association), who shared insights on the impact of civic engagement and identified both barriers and opportunities for youth involvement.

Discussions highlighted the need to equip young people with both the motivation and practical tools to create positive change in their communities. We explored the current attitudes toward civic engagement across different generations and drew attention to experiences from projects that involve youth in civic activities across both urban and rural areas.

Key needs identified during the discussions included:

• The importance of international collaboration and representation of European youth, providing them with tools to better support their communities.
• Promoting a more open attitude toward civic engagement can serve as a crucial foundation for sustained future actions.
• Bridging the gap between rural and urban youth to ensure equal opportunities for all, encouraging participation through school councils and European projects.

Additionally, together with Italian, Latvian, Greek, and Slovenian partners, we launched a collective study containing 50 recommendations aimed at increasing youth civic engagement and social inclusion, based on the work carried out within the Civic-EU project. The study emphasized five key themes:

1. Initiatives that support active youth civic engagement.
2. Access to information about available opportunities.
3. Volunteering as a path to civic participation.
4. Promoting active involvement of rural youth.
5. Addressing social challenges faced by young people.

We extend our thanks to all participants for their contributions to these valuable and insightful discussions!

Co-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 the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.