Description
The project proposes a series of active citizenship activities for a minimum of 100 individuals aged12-15 in the community of Nowa Huta who are at risk of social exclusion . Two methods will be used: streetworking and on-site activity centre program. Streetworkers will recruit participants and will work with them in a workshop environment to help develop their own streetwork tools for enhanced citizenship education. While working on the tools and the related education games, participants will gain insights into civic education and will then take part in personal development and promotion workshops. They will pro-actively co-create the activity centre community and co-decide on the centre's management issues. In addition, they will attend the Local Council meetings as observers. Having completed their toolbox, participants will test the tools out in the field and will visit schools where they will conduct workshops.
Summary of project results
"The project was implemented in Nowa Huta, the largest district of Cracow (population over 250,000). The community mainly includes people who lost jobs in the early 1990s following the closure of a local steel mill. Police and City Welfare Centre statistics suggest the community at risk of anti-social behaviours and social exclusion; a large proportion of the community is mentally closed and sees no need for development or being active in the community; the level of citizenship awareness is extremely low. Children and youth copy their parents or older friends. Research conducted in Nowa Huta by the DEMOS Foundation reveals that a large proportion of local children and youth have poor school performance, there is widespread truancy and aggression. This puts strains on social and intellectual development. Individuals who receive regular welfare assistance are often affected by entitlement culture and passivity and they believe the well deserve that assistance. Children raised by such families inherit very similar patterns. The goal of the project was to engage with a group of minimum 100 young people in Nowa Huta who are threatened by social exclusion to involve them in community and volunteering projects. 150 young individuals joined the projects; intergenerational integration workshops were held where children and youth covered by a day care programme worked with senior citizens to produce Christmas decorations. Various items were collected for the homeless pet shelter. Project participants took part in district council elections; they learned about participatory budgeting, learned writing formal letters and letters of intent, developed new local dispute resolution and problem solving techniques; they monitored (BIP) websites of a selected district council and city council and identified a list of all key issues the district council would be expected to address. The project involved, learning session in the activity room, workshop on promotional activities and personal development. The project targeted socially challenged children and youth in Nowa Huta, Cracow."
Summary of bilateral results