Get in the game

Creative Youth Information Award category

Organisation

ES061 – ES050 (Joint application) (Ayuntamiento de Cáceres e Instituto de la Juventud de Extremadura)

Country

Spain

WEBSITE

Project link

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Y9cvibrCb7nS7uXupqU_Zfiqqb-moWGn?usp=sharing

General Overview

On 17 April 2024, the activity ‘Get in the Game!’ was held in Cáceres and Badajoz, organised by the Eurodesk multiplier points in Extremadura. Aimed at young people aged 18-30, its main objective was to raise awareness among young people about the importance of participating in the European elections on 9 June 2024 and in making decisions that affect their daily lives and the future of the European Union through an innovative activity based on games and interactive learning.

The activity employed a participatory, experiential, and inclusive methodology, combining sports leisure with interactive learning. It was a physical activity event for a cause.

The proposal consisted of combining sporting leisure with active democratic participation of the young population in a single activity. Young people participated in physical activities such as cycling, walking, or rowing on machines linked to issues important to European youth, such as mental health, climate change, employment, equal opportunities, and a fair economy. Before participating, they had to deposit proposals or concerns in a ballot box, which were then handed over to political representatives. This element ensured that young people’s ideas were heard, generating a closer link with institutional representatives.

In addition, the activity included a photocall with images of European cities, information stands on mobility programmes and platforms relevant to the elections, such as the Euroclasses, the Eurodesk campaign ‘Don’t Let Others Choose for You’, and the ‘All Together EU’ platform. Promotional materials were delivered to reinforce the connection to European opportunities.

Through a playful and dynamic approach, the activity attracted a young audience that would otherwise not have participated in traditional European election events, fostering their democratic participation and aligning with the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027.

Thematic Category Correspondence

(50 points max)

How does this initiative (project, event, material) correspond to the thematic category

Eurodesk multipliers in Extremadura (Cáceres City Council and Instituto de la Juventud) carried out this action during European Youth Week 2024 with the aim of making EU information youth-friendly. The EU supports and funds a large number of opportunities for young people in areas that promote skills development, improve career prospects, and involve participants in strategic areas for the present and future. All this information needs to be communicated through innovative ways and spaces such as street actions or activities that involve the participation of young people.

Our proposal, ‘Get in the Game’, sought to combine a single activity sports leisure with the participation of the young population, all connected with European democratic values and the Youth Goals. Young people were asked to get involved in issues that are important to them, and to European society, such as sustainability, equal opportunities, quality education, mental health and well-being, youth participation, the European digital space, employment, or a fairer economy.

The proximity of the European elections inspired us to generate a mock vote, in which the young participants first had to exercise a vote and choose a topic of interest. They then accumulated kilometres through their activity on pedalling, rowing, or walking machines. This activity was complemented by information stands on European programmes for young people: Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, DiscoverEU, European Youth Card, and information on the 2024 European elections: information platforms, participation campaigns, etc.

Another objective of our action was to raise awareness of the Eurodesk youth information network as a resource for support, guidance, and information on mobility in Europe.

Impact

(30 points max)

How did your project impact young people / your community?

Today’s young people have a multitude of ways and channels to get information, but having the opportunity to consult and get information in person is a ‘plus’ that adds value and a strong visibility impact to any action. This is perhaps the most positive impact of the action: taking information to the streets and involving young people in the activity, engaging them in ‘doing miles for a cause’ and showing them how their participation can influence the policies that directly affect their lives and our common future.

The chosen date, 17 April, European Youth Information Day, also gave us the opportunity to recall that access to quality information and free media is essential to empower young people and enable them to take an active role in society. Providing them with accurate, accessible, and reliable information on any topic that is important to them, as well as supporting their own search for information, should be a priority objective for institutions.

We also relied on other European organisations such as Europe Direct to be present at the action, reinforcing the European information offered. The sustainability of the results was ensured by the previous and subsequent work done with young people in schools and by the dissemination of information about the elections and European opportunities that young people carried out in their immediate environment. The action was recorded by local media and was broadcast on the regional news that day, also generating an impact on the community.

Green Focus

(10 points max)

Did your project have any green focus and/or did you implement any eco-friendly measures when organising it?

The activity was carried out outdoors, choosing parks and recreational areas in the cities, encouraging young people to practise sport and to do it for a cause they believe in and consider important for the European Union. In terms of logistics and organisation, we have tried to minimise environmental impact as much as possible, reducing the waste generated by the activity and ensuring the correct final management of the waste. One of the issues that young people could fight for was precisely sustainability and sustainable development, being one of the issues that most concerned young people and for which a large majority chose to pedal, thus incorporating sustainable development into the content of the action itself.