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Description
The ECOCITIZENSHIP project aims to work with children and young people from the municipality of Gouveia in order to increase their capacity to participate and intervene in local decisions on environment, biodiversity and sustainable development issues. The dynamics of children and young people with other people of the territory will enable the creation and development of “ecocommunities”, fostering intergenerational dialogue, and acting to promote change, by presenting proposals at the Citizenship, Environment and Sustainable Development Forum, seeking to influence local policies.
Summary of project results
Adhering to the principles of non-formal education, the project aimed to empower children and young people to engage in activities related to the environment, biodiversity, and sustainable development. It sought to promote moments of research, idea formulation, and debate among young people, encouraging them to develop reflective, critical, and constructive attitudes—essential skills for active participation in a democratic society. Additionally, this initiative aimed to involve and mobilize families, the broader community, and both public and private entities, along with their professionals, to take action to preserve the natural heritage of the territory.
The ECOCIDADANIA project spanned 24 months and was structured into five components, each encompassing various activities that marked different stages of its implementation.
The first component, ECOPOWER, focused on empowering the team and partners and educating educational agents, providing training activities concerning environment and sustainable development. This was achieved through actions such as environmental awareness workshops using digital games, citizen science and nature photography workshops, and sessions with educational agents, facilitating dialogue between ECO professionals and teachers.
The second component, QUESTIONA, involved awareness-raising sessions through film screenings, debates, and other activities aimed at encouraging voluntary participation in forming groups within their school and community contexts. This component was carried out in regular sessions with the youth from the Gouveia School Group and the Gouveia Institute Professional School.
The third component, ECOCOMMUNITIES, built on the previous component''s work and included specific activities with the groups, such as field trips, test tubes (workshops), community meetings, and the Citizenship, Environment, and Sustainable Development Forum initiative.
The fourth component, ECOINFORMA-TE, accompanied all activities within the previous components and bridged the project''s development and implementation with the public. This was done through actions such as a press conference to present the project, newspaper articles, the creation of monthly newsletters, radio programs, regular social media management, and the project''s final conference.
The fifth component, ENERGIZERS, included in-person and online meetings with an external supervisor who assisted in understanding the project''s execution and direction through a clear and careful perspective.
In quantitative terms, the following was achieved:
- 35 volunteers recruited by supported NGOs;
- 8 awareness raising campaigns carried out;
- 56 civic initiatives led by supported NGOs;
- 38 people educated in civic rights;
- 10 partnerships between NGOs and schools promoting civic education;
- 100% share of target group showing civic concerns.
In terms of capacity building, the promoter carried out a needs assessment and prepared an action plan. This led to the development of an operational framework that included strategic planning, institutional communication, impact evaluation and financial sustainability. Accordingly, 16 professionals were trained.
All proposed targets were met and exceeded.
Summary of bilateral results
The collaboration with Toyen Unlimited Norway allowed for training sessions with the young ECO professionals, the project team, the promoter and partners. Toyen assigned members of their organization for regular follow-up (via online meetings) to exchange ideas on youth engagement and the best strategies to ensure commitment to the project. The on-site training in Oslo in September 2019 enabled the translation of the Theory of Change manual into Portuguese, providing a valuable resource and tool for future project design.