The project “Sugrįžimai” (eng. Returns) is aimed at promoting critical thinking and civic engagement among young people. Based on this project, we continue to gather young people into a network of supporters of the open society, encouraging to engage and participate in civic society at both national and European levels. We are also aiming to create a network of youth mentors so that young people have support and the opportunity to consult when they want to learn, build self-confidence, and strengthen their abilities, becoming active and responsible members of society.

Duration of the Project

January – December 2023

Project financed by

Erasmus +

Goals

  • Increase the ability of young people to express their views publicly, by providing them new knowledge and skills for action.
  • Empower young people to engage at the local government level and address local issues.
  • Examine the reasons for youth participation/non-participation in civic activities in a specific municipality.
  • Cultivate a new and motivated generation of young people who will uphold EU values.

Project stages

    1. Informal youth groups (5 young people) and strengthening their skills.
    2. Organizing meetings between informal youth groups and representatives of the municipalities in Alytus, Kėdainiai, and Plungė; teams of young people (40 participants).
    3. Identifying relevant problems for young people in Alytus, Kėdainiai, and Plungė municipalities, preparing action plans, and implementing them (75 young people).
    4. Public events in Alytus, Kėdainiai, and Plungė municipalities (150 young people).
    5. Final evaluation event in Vilnius (70 young people).
    6. Mentoring programm: forming a team of 4-5 mentors to assist young people with project implementation and content-related questions.

Target audience

The youth of Alytus city, Kėdainiai district, and Plungė district municipalities.

Impact

  1. Young people will understand the principles of local government, be able to discern society’s expectations, analyze decisions made by local politicians, and formulate their own proposals.
  2. They will present suggestions to local politicians and the community for more effective representation of the interests of residents, especially young people.
  3. They will participate in public discussions and raise issues that are important to them.
  4. They will prepare an analysis of the current issues related to youth participation/non-participation in civic activities in their municipalities.
  5. They will acquire or enhance the ability to learn, critical thinking skills, working with youth groups and expand practical skills in using informal youth education tools and methods.
  6. They will strengthen their collaboration skills, critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, analytical skills, and broaden their knowledge about the role and activities of government institutions.
  7. They will have the opportunity to delve into fundamental EU values, better understand the influence of values on everyday decisions, and learn to look at the environment and phenomena from various perspectives.
  8. Both the newly acquired and enhanced practical skills and competencies will help young people participating in the project understand the importance of active participation and encourage them to seek ways to engage in decision-making related to youth at the local level.