TC Civitas
In the scope of Erasmus+ programme, Youthfully Yours team took part in the training course Civitas 2025: Promoting Active Citizenship through Youth Work that was held by Udruga Prizma from 24 to 30 May 2025 in Veli Iž, Croatia.
Promoting active citizenship through youth work is a vital component of building inclusive, democratic, and resilient societies. We learnt how Youth work supports young people’s personal and social development through non-formal education, mentorship, and community-based activities. It promotes citizenship by:
- Empowering youth to express themselves and take initiative,
- Building skills for participation, such as critical thinking, communication, and collaboration,
- Creating safe spaces for dialogue and identity exploration,
- Encouraging civic engagement through volunteering, campaigns, and advocacy,
We understood that non-formal education plays a vital role in fostering active citizenship by providing flexible, participatory, and experiential learning opportunities outside traditional classroom settings for young people and trainers. It was interesting to see in Open Space sessions how other organizations work, while deliberative democracy practical exercise was particularly insightful.
Participants had opportunities to share their experiences, challenge assumptions, and co-create solutions, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility. Such approaches empower individuals to see themselves as an active agent of change, cultivating skills like leadership, communication, and civic awareness. We learned about YouthPass, Udruga Prizma as our host, key competencies and active citizenship, through active peer learning, play, and music.
We appreciated that trainers used informal and inclusive nature of non-formal environment to reduce barriers that often hinder participation, especially among marginalized groups. By creating safe spaces for dialogue and reflection, the training course promoted social inclusion and democratic values, reinforcing the principles of active citizenship.
Finally, integrating digital tools and social media into training sessions expanded the efficiency of the learning process. Sharing project experiences online encouraged wider community involvement and awareness, reinforcing the idea that active citizenship is a collective effort. In analysing online news, we looked for signs like lack of sources and clickbait headlines. The fake news workshop and the broken telephone game showed us how easily misinformation spreads and why media literacy is important. We felt curious about how we consume information online.
As a result of project, a digital leaflet has been developed HERE.
And a toolkit of non-formal approaches has been developed HERE.
This project was Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union who cannot be held responsible for them.