Creative Youth Information Award category

Future volunteer championship

Title of the Project

''Nākotnes brīvprātīgo čempionāts'' / ENG - ''Future volunteer championship''

Organisation

Ķekavas novada pašvaldība

WEBSITE

https://www.instagram.com/jickekava/

Project link

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQHUfSsjD_J/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQoOjVjjD4P/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Project dates

2025-10-02

2025-10-28

What is it about?

“Nākotnes brīvprātīgo čempionāts” (Future Volunteers Championship) was a multi-stage youth information initiative designed to motivate high school students in Ķekava municipality to explore European Union opportunities. The main objective was to raise awareness about the European Solidarity Corps, Erasmus+, and DiscoverEU, while encouraging youth to become active citizens and to participate in healthy competition.

The project targeted students in grades 10 through 12 (from age 15 to 19). It successfully reached 245 young people across three events: two qualifying rounds held at Baldone High School and Ķekava High School, and a grand finale at the “Jaunu ideju centrs” (Youth Centre of Ķekava county).

The project used a competitive “championship” format to gamify learning!
School rounds: These 40–90 minute sessions included icebreakers, EU project storytelling by a member of EuroPeers Latvia, board games related to the European Union and its projects, interactive quizzes using digital tools (Gimkit) and Eurodesk materials to test knowledge on EU projects. Top performers qualified for the final round.

The finale: Finalists and other interested youth engaged in non-formal education activities, including improvisation theatre, team-building tasks, board games, a digital game using Gimkit, and a creative workshop where mixed groups designed educational posters about European Solidarity Corps, Erasmus+ and EuroPeers. The finale also included 3 EU project stories from EuroPeers Latvia members. The event concluded with the crowning of a “Solidarity Work Champion”.

How is this project relevant to the specific category?

This activity aligns with the Creative Youth Information thematic category by moving away from traditional presentations and adopting an “out-of-the-box” gamified championship format. Instead of passively receiving information, youth were engaged as “competitors” in a tournament, which made learning about complex EU programmes exciting and dynamic.

Innovative Approaches Used:

Gamification and Digital Tools: We transformed the intake of information into a championship-like event. By using board games, non-formal education, improvisation theatre, and the digital platform Gimkit, we turned quizzes about the European Solidarity Corps into high-energy competitions. Gamification appealed to the youth’s habits and kept engagement levels high throughout all events.

Using the New Information Practically: In the finale, we used interactive methods such as a poster-creation challenge. Participants were mixed into new groups and given 15 minutes to creatively visualise Erasmus+ youth exchanges, EuroPeers, and ESC short-term and long-term volunteering. This forced them to synthesise the information actively and creatively rather than just memorising it. The participants also needed to use the information in board and digital games, which helped them better understand what these project opportunities truly entail.

Peer-to-Peer Storytelling: Rather than officials delivering lectures, the information was delivered through the EuroPeers network. Young ambassadors shared their personal stories related to EU projects, making the “dry” facts about EU programmes relatable and inspiring to the young people.

The championship narrative: Framing the event as a hunt for the “Solidarity Work Champion” created a narrative hook that sustained interest across multiple weeks and locations, motivating students to pay attention so they could win the grand title. Competition with each other also motived the young people to do their best.

What was the impact of the project?

The project had a substantial quantitative and qualitative impact on the youth of Ķekava county.

Quantitative impact: We significantly exceeded our initial goal of reaching 135 participants, ultimately engaging 245 young people between the ages of 15 and 19. This represents a massive outreach in the local context.

Knowledge and awareness: The immediate impact was a drastic increase in awareness. Prior to the championship, almost all participants were unaware of the European Solidarity Corps, and many did not know about Erasmus+ or DiscoverEU. Post-event feedback and observations indicated that the participants’ understanding of these opportunities increased greatly. The reflection sessions confirmed that youth now understood how to access these programmes and knew that they could reach out to youth work specialists of Ķekava municipality and members of the EuroPeers Latvia network if they needed assistance.

Behavioural impact: The project successfully motivated youth to consider active citizenship. During reflection discussions, several participants expressed a specific interest in applying for short-term European Solidarity Corps volunteering projects for the upcoming summer. Almost all young people also expressed the desire to participate in an Erasmus+ youth exchange at least once in their lives.

Did the project have any green focus?

Yes, the project integrated eco-friendly measures in line with the Erasmus+ priority of “Environment and the fight against climate change.”

1. Waste management: During the events, especially the finale which included food breaks, all resulting paper and plastic waste was sorted into the appropriate containers.
2. Reduction of paper waste: To reduce paper consumption, we utilised board games and digital tools for the core activities. Knowledge tests were conducted via the Gimkit platform on screens or through verbal questionnaires rather than paper handouts. Additionally, all posters created during the final event of the activity were displayed on the walls of the Ķekava County “Jaunu ideju centrs.” This ensured that these posters served a purpose after the activity, helping more young people who visit the youth centre learn about EU project opportunities.

How did you ensure Eurodesk's visibility in your project?

As this activity was part of the Eurodesk ”Time to Move” campaign of October, 2025, Eurodesk visibility was central to the activity. The facilitator of each event explained to the young participants what Eurodesk is. The facilitator wore a Eurodesk shirt at each event. The best performing participants in the event also received prizes from Eurodesk, such as an umbrella, hat, and other gifts. Everyone received Eurodesk candy and a pen. Four social media posts (one poster, one picture post, and two videos) were posted on the Ķekava municipality youth field Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Project highlights

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQHUfSsjD_J/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Your project on video

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPdmExsDGS0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQMN4_JjKuS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==