As our experience shows, high school students from the Zawiercie County (Silesian Voivodeship) are interested in engaging in social activities and are eager to acquire knowledge in the field of conducting various social projects. However, their enthusiasm often fades due to the lack of initiatives in our region for them to get involved in.

In response to this problem, we organized workshops on civic education, debates, and training sessions focused on developing leadership skills and project management. We also provided opportunities for the implementation of local youth initiatives. For these activities, we involved representatives from local non-governmental organizations, who shared their knowledge and experiences in civic engagement with the young participants from Zawiercie and its surroundings.

Furthermore, as part of the project, we held an internal competition that selected eight initiatives. The high school students then implemented these initiatives with our support.
According to the evaluation surveys, the youth were delighted to work together and carry out interesting activities, especially after a prolonged period of isolation and staying at home due to the pandemic.

Through the training sessions, they increased their knowledge in the field of civic engagement. Moreover, the debates provided them with more experience in discussions and expressing themselves confidently on difficult or controversial topics. We also observed that the undertaken actions taught them critical thinking skills.