More than four in ten Europeans consider that their voice counts in the EU (42%, +13 percentage points since autumn 2013). The proportion of EU citizens who say that their voice does not count has fallen sharply, from two - thirds (66%), down to just above half (52%). The proportion of people, in CZ, POL and SK in terms of this is however higher than EU average – less people think, that their voice counts. The purpose of the project was to support civic engagement of young people, as a crucial target group, by showing them effective ways of being more actively engaged. The overall goal of the Who Else? - Student Local Initiatives project was therefore to support civic engagement of youth from three countries in the EU, specifically a) to provide young people with learning opportunities, build their capacity to become engaged in local initiatives, b) to train teachers to be able to support their students, motivate them to plan, organize and evaluate their student initiates. The project supported 15 students aged 15 to 21, equally distributed in partner countries CZ, SVK and EST as well as 15 teachers. Through the program, each of the students became a peer leader and built a core team for a local student initiative, which tackle local issues focused on youth related matters but also topics, which touch upon the lives of the whole community. This was established by a needs assessment organized by the team. To prepare them, we provided them with skills and increased their capacities in project management, structural dialogue between youth and councilmen, fundraising, problem solving, etc. The same goes for the teachers, as they functioned as a support, as facilitators and mentors for the student local initiatives. We organized a five-day meeting for 15 teachers, five from each country, where we used the Who Else? methodology for supporting active citizenship of youth in and outside of schools and on how to integrate project education into the classroom curricula. Students met twice for two five-day meetings so that they could increase their capacity to organize the local student initiatives by learning project management, team building, fundraising, PR and processes in the local communal politics. The meetings included workshops, discussions with experts and work in groups so that it was as practical as possible. The face-to-face workshops were combined with group conference calls and Facebook communication so that students could stay in touch during the project as well. The project trained 15 students who thus became local student initiative leaders, 15 teachers who were mentors to the team of their respective initiative and functioned as their support. 15 local initiatives were established, influencing lives in 15 communities, about 180 students were involved in organizing activities and events with the core teams of the initiatives and another about 3000 people were involved indirectly during the events and due to the results of the student initiatives. The impacts include: Teachers were empowered in supporting student local initiatives and gained knowledge to integrate project education into the curriculum or the framework educational programs. Student peer leaders gained competences to organize new local initiatives further into their adult life and have now a long-term capacity to function as local leaders and organizers. More teacher-parent interaction took place. The longer-term benefits include: Local communities benefit from the initiatives the students have organized. There is greater participation of young people in the local council’s decision-making process. Young people learned processes of policy-making, at least on the local level. Based on the type of initiative, the students have influenced policies on the regional level as well. They felt empowered for future active participation in civic issues, by practicing these processes through organization of the local student initiatives.

We live in a fast changing world filled with global connections, which opens up opportunities as well as posing us some huge challenges. In our daily live we use and depend on goods from all over the world, delivering not only wealth, but also responsibilities. What does it take to be a world citizen, and which wisdom, awareness, capacities and attitudes do we need to realise the dream of global justice and prosperity?The topics of global interdependence and responsibility are becoming more relevant and the current globalisation trends has caused that active global citizenship is becoming more and more important. Critical thinking, sustainable ways of living, respect, solidarity, fight against xenophobia and understanding the connection between global end local are important components of their competences, which young people should acquire and reflect on to become active global citizens. The initiative to create a strategic partnership of NGOs working in global education to exchange good practices within non-formal education and create better conditions for bringing the topics of global active citizenship to non-formal education came from People in Peril. PIPA has been actively working in global education since 2003 with the main focus on formal education. The motivation for the partnership was to get inspiration and learn from the partners organisation with more experiences and practices in linking global education with non-formal education particularly youth work.The aim of the project was:• to improve cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices in global citizenship education within non-formal education by which will be created better conditions for bringing the topics of global active citizenship to non-formal education, particularly youth work. The specific objectives were:• enhanced quality and relevance of the learning offer in non-formal education, particularly youth work in the area of global active citizenship and• developed the competencies of global active citizenship among youth workers and youth group leaders.There were 4 organisations in the strategic partnership: Mondo (Estonia), Südwind Agentur (Austria), CIES Onlus (Italy), People in peril (PIPA, Slovakia). All of them are involved in global education for more than 10 years. Südwind was established in 1980 and is important NGO in the global education field recognised on international level,covering formal and non-formal education, campaigning and advocacy activities. Mondo and PIPA have been active mostly in formal education, preparing publications and providing documentaries for teachers as learning tools. CIES has the closest link to youth work, since it runs a youth centre for youngsters mostly with migration background.The main undertaking activities were fallowing:• Survey on global education in youth work implemented through online questionnaire and focus groups in four involved countries.• Developed a common strategy how to introduce and support global education in youth work and provide learning offer for youth workers to improve their competences in dealing with global topic in their practice.• Creating a training curriculum for youth workers/youth leaders in global topics, which was used for international training of trainers for youth workers and youth leaders plus creating curriculum for trainings on national level. • 5 - days long international training of trainers for youth workers and youth leaders, including mentoring support in follow-up activates. • Creating methods pack – Global education and Youth work,Toolkit on food, migration and media topics• Sharing and exchange interesting articles, methods and ideas related to global education with participants involved in project activities directly or within the network on national level (through newsletter and sending learning offers) The results are:1. Obtained and evaluated results from survey on global dimension in youth organisations2. Developed strategy of implementing global citizenship education in youth organisations3. Global citizenship training curriculum (international training) including drafting curriculum for trainings on national level. 4. Materials and methodology for global citizenship education-Toolkit on food, migration and media topic (21 activities, 90 pages in PDF) and translation in Slovak, Italian.5. Training program for youth workers and youth leaders – trained 19 multipliers with improved skills in developing and facilitating workshops, empowered to implement global education activities in their practice, provide innovative and quality trainings for peers.6. Exchange of good practices and expertise among the project partners, sharing know how and expertise in particular topics (4 meetings on topics food, visuals, media and migration/81 participants. All together 94 participants in all 6 transnational project meetings) 7. Develop and strengthened cooperation and network between global education and YOs

The strategic partnership consisted of three partners organisations: People in Need Slovakia (PIN), Outward bound Slovakia (OBS) and Elmenyakademia (EA) from Hungary. The leading organisation People in need Slovakia is one of the most active NGOs in Slovakia working directly in socially excluded Roma communities mostly in Eastern part of Slovakia. The need of PIN was to increase competences of youth and social workers in using non-formal education methods, particularly experiential learning methods, to be able to create space and environment supporting personal development and empowerment of Roma youth. For Outward Bound Slovakia this partnership was an opportunity to start working with young people with fewer opportunities coming from marginalised group. The partnership was created in order to learn, inspire, exchange good practices, to increase personal capacities and expertise of involved organisations and to transfer and adopt innovative learning programme for Roma youth in Slovak environment, inspired by programme run in Hungary for the last 6 years. Elmenyakademia (from Hungary) was the organisation whose know-how was transferred and adjusted to Slovak conditions. For this organisation it was an opportunity to develop international cooperation and disseminate their best practice abroad and learn from this cooperation. It was also an opportunity for the youngsters from Hungary (from Roma minority) to be a role model for other young people from different country.The overall goal of the strategic partnership to improve cooperation and exchange of good practices between involved organizations to support and empower Roma youth through non-formal education methods was fulfilled. The specific objectives were: a. to increase personal capacities of involved organizations in non-formal education methodsResults:- 1 training of trainers for youth and social workers coming from PIN Slovakia and OB Slovakia to transfer the „theory” of the best practice of Elmenyakademia - 1 pool of ten trainers/instructors created - 10 youth and social workers with increased competences, motivation and inspiration for their workb. to increase the quality of youth work the involved organisations provide, particularly in adopting a new learning programme for Roma youth using volunteering action as a tool. Results:- 1 innovative learning programme adopted and tested called “Heroes”, consisting of 3 parts of 6 days for youth from marginalizes Roma communities (18 days togeher)- 1 methodology pack created in online form and disseminated (summary of used tools, methods and lessons learned) - 3 organizations that became more professional, increased their capacities and cooperation potential.There were together 20 young people coming from Roma settlements participating in certain parts of the 3 weeks long training programme. The young people as a group of volunteers prepared, run and evaluated their two volunteering actions. During the learning programme they had a chance to meet with Hungarian youngsters, who shared their experiences.