We create + we develop + we revive + we stimulate + we outline + we change = KROSNO

Description

1)Based on a set of multi-aspect, mutually complementary and interrelated activities extending to the institutional dimension, the “Know + Rise + Originate + Stimulate + Navigate + Obtain = KROSNO” project will curb unfavourable development-related phenomena while reducing Krosno’s fundamental issues:depopulation of Krosno;insufficient development level of innovative economy;limited attractiveness to young people as a place of permanent residence;insufficient array of public services responding to local community;insufficient joint town management solutions.

2) Krosno will boost the municipal economy, its paucity currently the chief reason behind young people’s migration. We will make Krosno an attractive, green, friendly and safe place to live. We will improve the quality and accessibility of services in education.The quality of solutions addressing young people, their activeness levels, sense of identity and trust in local authorities will all be improved. City will adapt municipal administrative structures to reflect local community needs.

3)Krosno works with the needs of young residents in mind, is open to grassroots initiatives, and actively cooperates with non-governmental organizations. Together with the project partners,  residents and representatives of the third sector,we have prepared a project combining all these aspects - thanks to it, Krosno will be better place to live.

4) Project involves participation of 10 domestic partners. Partners will implement a total of 16 projects that will create a synergy effect and allow for the implementation of new directions in the city''s development.The composition of the partnership has been designed in a manner enabling it the full and complete implementation of all strategic goals planned under the project, with a wide involvement of entities other than the self-government unit itself.All project partners will bring added value: knowledge, experience and good practices in the scope of their own specializations.

Summary of project results

In implementing the project, project aimed to:

• improve the quality of life in Krosno and better adapt administration to the needs of residents;
• attract new residents and reduce the migration of young people to larger urban centers;
• consistently build the brand of Krosno as a key educational center with sub-regional reach, fostering cooperation between universities and schools with businesses;
• create conditions for the development of small and medium-sized businesses, attract innovative in-vestors and strengthen the role of Krosno as a sub-regional center of trade and services;
• increase the role and responsibility of residents in decision-making regarding the city’s development, shaping public spaces, city-provided services; as well as use extensively engaging forms of communication between the city and residents;
• improve the quality of the environment and increasing the availability of attractive green spaces and natural resources as elements that affect the quality of life;
• improve standards of provision of public service and customer service, expand the range of services provided online;
• shape a value-based organizational culture;
• increase the competence of local government administration employees.

Project beleves that has achieved goals such as:

• enhancing and expanding the educational offer of Krosno’s schools by introducing new, attractive forms of vocational education;
• integration of local entrepreneurs, creation of a common space for business development, establishment of the Krosno Business Council, initiation of networking events, increase in the activity of entrepreneurs through participation in one-on-one conversations and networking meetings;
• increasing the role of consultation processes with attention to maintaining standards of conducting social consultations and principles of partnership in dialogue;
• increasing the activity of residents in the daily life of the city through involvement in grassroots initiatives and implementation of social projects;
• increasing the attractiveness of the city of Krosno as a place to live by putting newly developed green spaces and tourist products at the disposal of residents and tourists;
• strengthening the soft skills of the employees of the Krosno City Hall and its subordinate units and introducing value-based management;
• changing the mindsets of the city officials, increasing their sense of responsibility for the process related to the city’s development, including institutional development.

Nine partners participated in the implementation of 34 activities.

The Municipality of the City of Krosno implemented 21 projects.

• An orthophotomap, 3D model and digital terrain model were made for the area of ​​the city of Krosno. An internet application was created for data presentation and with tools for performing measurements and spatial analyses - krosno.obliview.com. The results of the implementation of the project benefit the residents of Krosno, tourists and entrepreneurs.
• Pocket parks were created as green MICROŚnieńskie recreation zones. Two micro-parks for recreation and relaxation were made available for residents and tourists.
• A sensory park was created with tree plantings, walking and cycling-walking paths, seats and ornamental plantings. Residents can also use the gazebo, barbecue area with pergolas, stone seats and garden benches. The whole is complemented by wooden bridges, trellises and flower beds with plants.
• 156 hours of workshops on traditions were carried out, including ornithology, dance, herbalism, music and singing. The activity was aimed at Krosno residents of all ages.
• In October 2023, the Youth Activity Centre created as part of the project was opened. Youth Activity Center is a space created for youth and - together with youth. It is a place where you can say - "I feel like home". By organizing meetings that enable self-development, cooperation with peers and stimulation of interests, passions and activities - we supported a still support young people in taking responsibility for the place where they live. The Youth Activity Center is located in the very center of Krosno, in the basement of a historic tenement house at Rynek 6 with an area of ​​approximately 200 m². The rooms include: an audiovisual room with a stage, a meeting room (cafe), a workshop space, a gallery room and a gallery with a library corner. On average, the Centre is visited by approximately 1,100 young people from Krosno and neighbouring municipalities each month.

Thanks to the establishment of the Youth Activity Center, it was possible to implement an extremely rich program in response to the needs of young people. In the period from October 2023 to March 2024, the CAM held, among others: ceremonial opening, workshops,concerts, film screenings, Youth CAMp, psychological support, additional initiatives developed by young people, including artistic workshops, poetry meetings and others.

All the events mentioned above resulted in over 8,000 people visiting CAM.

• Another element of the project, which was eagerly awaited by the residents of Krosno, were the walking and cycling paths. The investment consisted of the construction of 2.2 km long cycling and walking paths, along with the construction of technical infrastructure and recreation zones. The path consists of two lanes - a lane for cyclists, 2.0 m wide, and a lane for pedestrians, 1.5 m wide. The path was made of a chemically hardened mass. In order to increase safety, a video monitoring system was created (a total of 8 cameras) and LED lighting. 22 rest areas with benches and waste bins were located along the cycling and walking paths.
• In the area of ​​vocational education, 128 pieces of advanced teaching aids were purchased for 52 kindergarten classes. The equipment is used to teach coding and programming (educational robots, coding mats adapted to different age groups). The competences of 33 school career counselors in Krosno schools were improved. 619 hours of career counseling classes were carried out in primary schools and 2,269 hours of classes in secondary schools. 3,785 children and youth took part in these classes. 6 events and a social campaign (ads and promotional articles in the media) were also organized, the aim of which was to promote vocational education.
• In the area of ​​implementation of accessibility standards, the following were carried out:

• study visit of representatives of the City of Krosno in Gdynia (23-25 ​​May 2022), during which they became familiar with the solutions used by the Project Partner in the area of ​​accessibility, stakeholder service and the method of providing services to people with special needs;
• training (10 workshop days) for 75 employees of the Krosno City Office, organizational units of the Commune and municipal companies on the need to create and implement accessibility standards and knowledge about the needs of people with special needs;
• external audit of accessibility in the city of Krosno to assess the architectural, digital and information and communication accessibility of the buildings of the City Office and subordinate units (a total of 25 public utility facilities) and assessment of the accessibility of urban space and public services in the area of ​​architectural, digital, information and communication, training, educational and transport accessibility;
• a strategy for improving accessibility in the city of Krosno was developed.

• In terms of activities related to communication with residents:

• public opinion research was conducted on communication and cooperation between residents and the Krosno City Office;
• 3 workshop meetings were held with city representatives and representative persons selected as a result of the public opinion research. The aim of the meetings was to jointly develop tools/instruments for social participation;
• the Social Communication Strategy and the Stakeholder Competence Building Programme were developed, and 6 training courses were conducted;
• an information and promotional campaign was conducted on social dialogue;
• the Social Innovation Incubator was also established.

State Academy of Applied Sciences in Krosno - 4 projects.

• Since October 2021, PANS Krosno has been implementing studies in the field of Automation and Robotics in accordance with the study program developed as part of the project.
• In the project concerning popularization of science among primary school students,
  2 editions of classes were carried out, each consisting of 7 modules (total 98 classes). 168 primary school students took part in the classes. 2 family picnics were also organized at the end of each edition.
• As part of the project called "Gain experience and skills with KPU in Krosno", the following were carried out:
• 10 academic lectures on scientific topics from various fields for a total of 250 students of Krosno secondary schools;
• 3 ESCAPE ROOM puzzle room competitions for students of Krosno secondary schools, in which a total of 210 students took part;
• 2 Hackathon competitions for students of Krosno secondary schools, in which a total of 100 students took part;
• 3 competitions for future engineers for students of PANS in Krosno, in which a total of 93 students took part;
• 3 energy Olympiads (214 students), 3 editions of e-sport competitions (875 people), cooperation of student science clubs with students of Krosno secondary schools (82 students).

• Additionally, as part of the activities aimed at young people studying in secondary schools in the city of Krosno, the following were carried out:

• Job Fair - 3 editions - a total of over 2,000 participants and a total of 126 exhibitors;
• 3 editions of a motivational lecture for students of secondary schools in Krosno, students and graduates, and unemployed people - a total of 380 participants;
• 3 editions of the Industry Seminar;

• workshops for participants of the Fair (2 workshops during each Fair - a total of 6 workshops).

Guild of Miscellaneous Crafts in Krosno - 4 projects.

• "Becoming a craftsman - a series of professional training courses" - 16 editions of training courses completed, including computer graphics, basics of cutting and sewing, upholsterer / furniture restorer, florist, confectioner, photographer, make-up artist.
• "Networking of local entrepreneurs": a group of Local Active Open (LAO) entrepreneurs was established, 
• 31 craft workshops were organized for the residents of Krosno (93 hours).
• A craft fair was organized, during which it was possible to watch the work of master craftsmen. There were also: workshops - blacksmith/ woodcarver/ make-up.

Krosno University of the Third Age Association - 1 project.

18 hours of lectures and workshops for students of the Krosno University of the Third Age related to ecology and environmental protection were carried out, as well as study visits to institutions related to ecology and environmental protection.

Children and Youth Culture Association DYSONANS - 1 project.

The project partner carried out activities aimed at developing the creativity of children and youth from Krosno. It is an educational program focused on the development of creativity and 21st century skills such as: innovation, adapting to new conditions, completing tasks, teamwork, building good relationships, noticing and taking advantage of opportunities.

Kogel Mogel Association - 1 project.

The project focused on stimulating the local community to act, based on the idea of ​​community organizing. Organizing groups, which resulted in grassroots initiatives, became the basis for a gradual increase in the involvement of Krosno residents not only in matters directly related to the immediate neighbourhood, but ultimately also more broadly (on a city-wide scale), creating the basis for the actual development of civil society.

Carpathian Social Economy Cluster Foundation - 1 project.

This part of the project was focused on creation of narrative thematic paths and their multimedia "packaging" with the help of a dedicated website.  Building paths around specific elements had a grassroots character and was participated in by the city''s residents, which had an impact on building local identity and shaping Krosno''s brand ambassadors.

The Municipality of Øygarden - participation in the implementation of 9 activities.

The Municipality of the City of Gdynia - participation in the implementation of 3 activities.

Summary of bilateral results

On January 31, 2023, the City of Krosno signed a partnership agreement for bilateral cooperation with the Norwegian Municipality of Øygarden to implement „K + R + O + S + N + O” project in the following areas:•Modern education and active involvement of children and youth (stu¬dy visit to Poland, study visit to Norway, 4 online meetings)•Implementation of accessibility standards (study visit to Norway)•Civic participation in decision-making processes (study visit to Poland, 2 online meetings)The cooperation between the City of Krosno and the Norwegian municipality of Fjell began in 2008 (in 2013 partnership agreement was signed) with the joint implementation of the project on prevention and health promotion and perinatal care,funded by the Norwegian Funds. Afterward, additional joint projects were carried out involving youth and officials exchanges. On January 1, 2020, three neighboring Norwegian municipalities Fjell, Sund, and Øygarden were merged into one municipality called Øygarden. The partnership agreement signed in January 2023 regarding the joint implementation of „K + R + O + S + N + O” project was the first joint action of Krosno carried out with the merged Øygarden Municipality. Both study visits and online meetings provided an excellent opportunity for the exchange of experiences and best practices, benefiting the communities of both municipalities. Becoming familiar with interesting Norwegian solutions in areas such as youth activation, social participation, building trust in public institutions, and accessibility has increased awareness in these areas and inspired the implementation of similar solutions and improvements in Krosno. Establishing contacts between schools may result in lasting cooperation in creating international projects and student exchanges. Furthermore, the revitalization of contacts between the local governments of Krosno and Øygarden gives hope for the continuation of joint initiatives.