Project EUtopia: youth-powered change from ideas to actions
EUtopia is an Erasmus+ project designed to inspire young people to take an active role in democratic life. By fostering engagement with Europe’s social, cultural, and historical heritage, the project equips youth (ages 16-25) and youth workers with practical tools to implement ideas that benefit communities and address social challenges.
Why Utopias and Dystopias?
Using the concepts of utopias and dystopias provides a powerful way to start a discussion on active participation and citizenship. These themes allow young people to explore and understand both the possibilities and pitfalls of governance, encouraging critical thinking about social responsibilities and the value of their roles in society.
In EUtopia, we’re committed to your growth. We’ve developed comprehensive guides and resources to support youth in bringing ideas to life. Available on our website, these tools include detailed guides, action plans, activities and tools and so on. They enable young leaders to transform ideas into actionable projects, providing structure and fostering essential skills like leadership and project management.
We are excited to present a practical way to use our collection of activities, tools, action plans, and evaluation templates. This guide is inspired by the agenda from our international training held in the spring of 2024, which brought together 20 young participants (18-25 years old) from our partner countries to implement these tools effectively.
Day 1
On the first day, we focused on setting the foundation with discussions on utopias and dystopias, team-building activities, and an introduction to European opportunities for young people, such as youth exchanges, the European Solidarity Corps, and DiscoverEU. Participants also presented their project ideas, a requirement for attending the training.
Top Tips
- Choose specific activities and tools from our curated collection, which includes 25 detailed descriptions for easy implementation.
- Tailor activities to the needs of your target group. For further guidance, check our Implementation Guide, created to support professionals!
Day 2
On Day 2, we delved into project design, moving from experience-based games to understanding the project cycle and setting SMART objectives, all the way to concrete project planning.
Top Tips
- Use our Action Plan and Action Template to help young people turn their ideas into actionable projects.
- Remember, evaluation is key—even after a successful project! Our Evaluation plan allows young people to reflect on their experiences, learn from any challenges, and refine future projects.
Day 3
On day three, the focus was on participants presenting their concrete project ideas, where we offered feedback to help ensure smooth implementation.
Top Tips
- If possible, provide mentorship or follow up on participants’ progress, offering support as needed during implementation.
- For more comprehensive workshops and inspiring utopian project ideas that encourage active youth participation, explore our Map of Inspirations or Workshop Scenarios.
EUtopia is more than a project; it’s a movement to empower the next generation of active citizens. Visit our website for more information on our tools, resources, and practitioners’ guides.
Join us on the path to shaping a brighter future!