SV LeaderShift: Youth Initiatives
Young people went out to study how the city impacts them and how they impact the city for 5 days in Rzeszów, Poland from 17th August till 29th of August 2026 during a study visit called LeaderShift: Youth Initiatives funded by Erasmus+. This article shows their opinions and experiences after the project.
I was especially excited to meet young people from different European
countries and exchange our experiences. During the project, we explored Rzeszów, learned about local youth initiatives, and discussed how young people can become more active in their communities. I particularly enjoyed the community mapping and practical activities because they helped us look at a city not only as visitors, but also from the perspective of young people living there.
With the hosting organization INPRO we have visited local spaces such as youth centre Space4Youth, where we had spent one afternoon with the youngsters and got some inspiration from their non-formal activities, games, boardgames etc. What really fascinated us was how youngsters were open to new people and how they cooperated together.
Visiting of “Podkarpackie Centre for Innovation“ in Rzeszów was an inspiring experience that showed us how technology, creativity, and innovation can come together to create new opportunities for the future – such as 3D printers or industrial embroidery machines.
Another visit led to library “Wojewódzka i Miejska Biblioteka”, where the librarian showed us the most important storing spaces and various categories of books along with historical extra pieces we wouldn’t ever have a chance to see. Special part of the visit was dedicated to a trip to village Łańcut where we had been not only exploring the Łańcut castle but also have seen the exhibition in Municipal Cultural Centre.
We enriched our adventure with intercultural night where each country had presented its own culture and traditional food.
