Europe For Youth Info Day

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International Projects' Association INPRO

Organisation:

International Projects' Association INPRO

Country:

Poland

About organisation:

INPRO stands for International Projects Association and is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working with young people in Rzeszow, in Poland overall and internationally. We organise youth exchanges, European Solidarity Corps/volunteering projects, trainings, school projects, and other European programmes. The mission of the organization is to make people believe that international initiatives bring added value and progress to the development of a community.

Title of the project

Europe For Youth Info Day

Start date:

16/3/2022

End date:

7/12/2022

Objectives:

INPRO provides a bridge between the local youth and the international community in the region of Podkarpackie. Part of the young community in Rzeszów is disconnected from the wide variety of European opportunities within their reach. Thanks to “Europe For Youth” Info-Day they can explore their interests and potential, getting informed about new ways to discover and learn internationally. Our goal is not only to introduce them to the projects but also experience a first glance into them. Participants and international volunteers have the perfect space to practise their English outside the traditional formal environment, feeling more comfortable which allows them to fight with the language barrier and improve linguistic skills. From theatre plays, to human libraries or interactive debates with topics such as global society or cultural differences. For us, active participation is fundamental for them to absorb the experience of being surrounded by the international community, sharing and receiving knowledge and communicative skills. Finally, we offer individual consultations in the Eurodesk Info Point, in which they can ask our volunteers about the project that can adapt better to their situations, depending on their age, interests or studies.We attempt to improve and learn from every try, thinking out of the box, to keep the perfect balance between providing useful information while having fun with appealing activities for the participants.

Why the project was: empowering young people, adapting to changing realities, or thinking out of the box:

“Europe For Youth” info-day takes place every three months and is initiated by international volunteers of INPRO from more than 10 countries. They inform about European opportunities, present their countries in a multicultural environment. The event is an opportunity for people from Rzeszów to learn more about European youth programs such as Erasmus+ and ESC, discover different cultures, break down language barriers, and stereotypes.In the ‘Human Library’ six participants of these projects are interviewed and share their experiences to encourage young people to take part in European programs. In this way, we create a network for youth to connect their stories, get motivated and inspired. Each ‘Country Corners’ display a variety of country presentations, fun quizzes, food and games to help discover the countries of origin of our volunteers. In the Eurodesk point, you can find out more about the opportunities for young people and adults offered by the European Union through Erasmus + or the ESC programmes. In the Chillout Zone you can relax with coffee, tea, and play board games. In the Youth and European debates we enjoy actively involving young people into the discussion and for them to feel free to express themselves in an intercultural environment.We had a total of 254 people during the last event. About 1/3 of them approached our Eurodesk point and asked to be registered. 20% of these people took part in two youth exchange programs that we had after last event.

How the project was inclusive:

‘Europe for Youth’ Info-Day, it’s straight-going with its purpose: create an approach between the youth of Rzeszów and the European projects. We have a special Eurodesk point at our event where people can find out more about the opportunities for young people and adults offered by the European Union through Erasmus + and the European Solidarity Corps. During our last event 1/3rd of 254 people approached the Eurodesk point and asked to be registered. Besides, this space is perfect to distribute promotional materials that we have been provided by Eurodesk, such as leaflets, roll-ups and games.

Green aspect:

We’ve limited the paper usage as much as possible. During the event we mostly use digital tools (projector, white board). We don’t encourage paper waste and try to develop an eco-friendly environment. Some examples are our use of QR codes showing digital presentation instead of paper and we share information through social media, links and websites. Since this event is held several times per year, we re-use materials to avoid an unnecessary waste of resources. Our event is organised in a public space of Rzeszów known as Urban Lab, which enables us to use its kitchen, providing us with resourceful materials. People who come to the event drink tea or coffee in glass cups, instead of plastic ones. In this way, we avoid the unnecessary use of plastic waste. We also take care of keeping the glasses clean. We pay attention to the separation of waste in the kitchen and use separate trash cans to ensure recycling.In addition, thanks to the new technologies we cut unnecessary travel movements, using apps like Skype or teleconferences instead of travelling in person. This produces a positive impact for the environment and also saves time and money!

How the project has given a European dimension to your event and ensured the visibility and promotion of Eurodesk?

‘Europe for Youth’ Info-Day, it’s straight-going with its purpose: create an approach between the youth of Rzeszów and the European projects. We have a special Eurodesk point at our event where people can find out more about the opportunities for young people and adults offered by the European Union through Erasmus + and the European Solidarity Corps. During our last event 1/3rd of 254 people approached the Eurodesk point and asked to be registered. Besides, this space is perfect to distribute promotional materials that we have been provided by Eurodesk, such as leaflets, roll-ups and games.

Impact:

During our last event, we held a total of 254 people. Different profiles of people came to our event, including students from 11 different schools and also local people. About 1/3 of them approached our Eurodesk point and asked to be registered. 20% of these people took part in our 2 youth exchange programs that we had after the last ‘Europe for Youth’ Info-Day. Local people keep taking part in the activities that INPRO organises such as Open Cafe, which is a discussion club where people can learn about various cultures, share their own experiences and take part in fun activities, learn English and take part in discussion.During this past year, we have held a total of four ‘Europe for Youth’ Info-Days, managing to reach more than 700 people. Even though Rzeszów is the capital of Podkarpackie, this region is still located in a less developed part of Poland where young people tend to be close-minded and unaware of their opportunities. INPRO is the only organisation of its kind in the whole region, launching activities and events and gradually opening the minds of a great number of young people. The local community provides us lots of positive feedback and supports our work by demanding more and more requests for us to organise new and innovative activities.