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Description
The project addresses the issues and challenges of young people that emerged during the Covid-19 epidemic in the Podravje (Drava) region, namely: absence of social contacts; weak social inclusion of young people; increase in family violence (quarrels, disagreements and physical, psychological and economic abuse); increase in the level of peer violence, including online violence and youth vandalism; lack of support services for young people in the Podravje (Drava) region; lower self-esteem among young people as a result of greater exposure to online posts of peers, influencers and complete strangers who show idealized images of their lives and bodies. The abovementioned constitutes the flagship goal of the project, i.e. youth empowerment and social activation of young people in the Podravje (Drava) region. The project thus contributes both to the establishment of long-term support services for young people and to strengthening of their social and educational environment. The project pursues empowerment and social activation of young people in the region, strengthens existing local capacities and acts as an example of good practice of empowering young people in the areas of mental health, healthy (peer-to-peer) relationships by preventing online violence, and in the area of social activation of young people in the local environment, thereby stimulating young people to become more proactive as regards social issues. The project will primarily benefit young people (15-29 age group) from the Podravje (Drava) region (and beyond), youth workers and other organizations in the region that work with young people both at the institutional and systemic level.
Summary of project results
The project was created as a response to challenges, noticed between youth that already existed before, but escalated after Covid-19 epidemic. This entails worsening of their mental health, especially anxiety and depression rates, lower levels of confidence and independence, emotional distancing, social self-isolation and worsening of relationships, including rise in peer, intimate-partner and family violence. In addition to that, the project wanted to encourage social activation and participation of youth in their local environments to combat loneliness, promote civic cooperation and build a sense of community.
Nearly all redicted outcomes and direct impacts on a project level were exceeded. They newly qualified 63 youth workers over the course of 24 workshops allthogether. They developed a program that helped them execute interactive workshops, and targeted youth throught said workshops and youthe workers through created manuals and informative material on mental health, violence and social activation).
Alongside including youth and youth workers, they promoted the project and its goals through an interactive platform and media conferences.
The project began with an overview of the existing situation on three fronts, mental health, violence and social activation, specifically for people in age groups 0-17 and 18-29 years old. A platform for young people was prepared to inform them about these topics in a youthfriendly way and help them either seek help or offer it. They executed interactive workshops for young people and informative training for youth workers. Alongside promotional activities, such as social media posts, participating on a radio show, execution of two expert conferences, preparation and dissemination of promotional material, creation of a promotional video, etc., the project implemented four panels, which served as a guidance to creation of policy recommendations for decision-makers on all levels.
The project summarised some of the trainings for youth workers and other people, working with youth, in a manual, that was adapted and is now included in curriculum of NPK (National employment qualifications), and therefore available for youth workers nation-wide.