We diagnose, plan and change. Strengthening civic dialogue in Warsaw's schools and districts

15.12.2022 - 30.06.2023 , completed project

project targeted at Local community Youth Councils Youth School

The project served to strengthen young people's participation in shaping and co-determining their school and neighbourhood. It was a pilot project, however, supported by the Civis Polonus Foundation's many years of experience in working with young people both in Warsaw and in many municipalities across Poland.

The primary aim of the project was to create a space for dialogue and real influence of young people on the communities in which they live, through the implementation of proven mechanisms of civic dialogue. The activities covered young people aged 12-19 who are active members of student self-governments and youth district councils in Warsaw.

The second group indirectly involved in the project were representatives of schools (teachers and headmasters) and neighbourhoods (officials, mayors), who, in the course of the project, gained new experience and competences in the field of civic dialogue with young people and received in-depth information about the results of the activities.

We were particularly keen to strengthen youth participation within the existing institutions of youth participation - student councils and youth district councils. These are institutions that are well rooted in Polish legislation and equipped with democratic methods of operation, and furthermore supported by adult decision-makers.

The project was an attempt to respond to the challenges of young activists that we observe and define during our projects and meetings with youth councillors and student council representatives. These include the need to increase active civic participation of young people (e.g. by taking part in social participation mechanisms such as consultations, participatory budgeting, etc.) and a sense of real influence on issues important to young people (e.g. infrastructure and functioning of schools and public institutions, public transport, appearance of the city, ecology, student rights, etc.).

Project results

We offered the young people a variety of working methods, which the participants first learned theoretically and then implemented during the project.
These included:

Diagnosis of local community needs (through surveys, debates, interviews etc.);
Competence-enhancing workshops in areas such as diagnosis, advocacy, self-presentation and public speaking;
Training sessions with a dedicated mentor;
Public discussion with adults (decision makers in schools and neighbourhoods) on implementable solutions;
Public presentation of ideas and recommendations for action and implementation of selected solutions.