The project goals
The project „Civic Sparks: from Awareness to Action in Youth“ is carried out in cooperation between the Fundația Națională pentru Tineret (National Youth Foundation) in Romania, the wannseeFORUM Foundation in Germany and the Service National de la Jeunesse in Luxembourg and aims to promote civic participation and democratic education of young people through international cooperation, educational measures and innovative learning tools.
The project's starting point is the increasing need to integrate young people into democratic and social life – against the backdrop of declining civic participation, disinformation, and a growing distance between young people and public institutions. With this project, the partners aim to equip young people with skills in critical thinking and civic education, as well as offer concrete opportunities for active participation in social life.
The goals of the project are:
- Strengthening the engagement of young people in civic activities by involving over 300 young people from Romania, Germany and Luxembourg in workshops, debates and community initiatives;
- Strengthening cooperation between youth organizations, schools and local authorities to promote the active participation of young people in society;
- The development and promotion of sustainable instruments for civic education, such as guides, digital resources and interactive materials for young people and youth workers;
- Promoting European values, critical thinking and democratic participation among young people;
- The establishment of an international network of partners and ambassadors of civic engagement that will continue the activities even after the project has ended.
Our contribution
As part of a guidebook for youth leaders and educators, we submitted the concepts for our student mentoring and student council seminars for primary schools. In both seminar concepts, young people are the team leaders who encourage and empower other young people to make their own voices heard, express their own needs, concerns, attitudes, and opinions, and to develop them into young democrats. In various conversations and discussions with politicians during our seminars, in preparation for the House of Representatives elections in autumn 2026, in which 16-year-olds will be eligible to vote for the first time, we raise these important issues.
Results
In July 2026, young people from Germany, Romania, and Luxembourg met in Romania to discuss how to strengthen civic engagement among young people in their countries. The result was a series of fantastic podcasts that... here You can hear it (link leads to YouTube).
The guidebook was also completed in cooperation between the three youth education centers. It can be viewed here.
