The program YouthActiv regarded young people aged 16-18 years, high school students, some of whom were next voters in the elections in 2014. Stressing the importance of the EU to young people designing educational activities operated as an integrated experience, the program developed innovative models of diffusion of information about the EU, so that students realise the way it works and understand the role and effects to life of citizens.
TheYouthActiv informed teachers and students about EU issues and motivate young people to acquire the skills and knowledge to live in a European environment that understanding to become active European citizens.
The main objectives of the program were:
A) inform the society focusing on young people and to sensitize them on issues of European integration
B) create an online platform through which will be conducted a debate and heard the voice of young people on issues of EU (EU – dialogues).
C) provide online tools created so as to satisfy the needs of young people to help them in better understanding of the EU
D) create journalistic stories that reflect directly the opinion of future European citizens
More details:
Create a mini-portal forteenagers 16 to 18 years(YouthActiv) in cooperation with a specialist website to Europeaninformation, EurActiv.gr which will contain:
1. Adjusted texts about the history and structural reforms of the EU, which will be presented in an interactive way , using various tools such as schedules, presentations, flash animation etc.
2. Selected European issues from the European site EurActiv.gr adjusted to the needs of corresponding ages.
3. Informative links to issues and policies of the EU( eg europa.eu, europeana.eu, europarl.europa.eu, etc.)
4. Interactive games of knowledge (quizzes, puzzles, etc.)
5. Supporting material for parents / teachers (ppts, brochures of the European Commission and the European Parliament, links with European Unions and institutions, questions and answers for Europe)
6. Speciality newsletter adjusted to young people aged 16-18 years
Implementation of seminars
Seminars for teachers and secondary school students in EU matters which included:
1. History of the EU – the EU as a stabilizer of the European continent
2. EU governance
3. European citizenship
4. European educational programs and initiatives for young people (Erasmus +, Youth on the Move)
5. Volunteering (YouthinAction)
6. Youth Entrepreneurship
Each seminar was followed by a discussion, an “EU dialogue” with the active participation of teachers, students, academic coordinator and the scientific program committee and various youth organizations and other invited visitors (journalists, representatives of the European Parliament etc.).
There were 5 seminars in 5 different cities of Greece in order to cover the geographical dissimilarity in Greece.
From theory to practice: Students become "journalists of the EU"
The most interactive part of the program was the active participation of students and their transform into "journalists of the EU". Students, being informed on EU affairs during the seminars, took to create a short story (or video or article or a combination of them) about how they see the development of the EU from their own view, with the guidance of Balkan Beyond Borders (BBB). H BBB is an NGO that uses art and new media seeking to promote youth movement and youth cooperation in the Balkans through ‘ dialogue’ , the ‘interaction’ and ‘ innovative learning ‘. The stories of the students were posted on the mini portal and other social media (youtube, facebook, Vimeo) for further spread of the project results. The best journalists of the EU won a prize. Also created by the project team a documentary that included the best stories of “journalists of the EU” and were posted to mini portal and social networks .
