Our project is a response to the problem of passivity and low civic engagement among the youth from small towns of Biłgoraj District (Lubelskie Voivodeship). The problem has been recognized through a series of surveys conducted in 2020 and data from the participating schools. According to that research, only several students in the entire district are engaged in volunteering. Our project would engage young people from six small towns in the Biłgoraj District: Smólsk, Korytkowo, Sola, Bidaczów, Buków, Hedwiżyn, and Dąbrowica.

We will divide our operations into three areas – knowledge, experience, and action. As part of the knowledge area, we will organize civic workshops and an educational campaign entitled “More Civically Engaged.” Participants will learn how to innovate, participate in the decision process pertaining to their community and engage others in their town. Additionally, they will develop their knowledge of civic culture and how to collaborate with local community and government. The experience area will consist of themed meetings at the town halls, NGOs, field games and Oxford debates. The youth will continue their education through gaining experience and will be able to witness firsthand the civic engagement in action. As part of the action area, the participants will implement 12 projects in their respective communities, engaging others to participate as well. This part will allow the young people to use the knowledge they have acquired earlier in the project. Priorities and ideas developed by the youth will teach the local government about young people’s perspective. In total, we want to engage 140 individuals from six small towns and 20 different organizations.