On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, in the council room of the Iași City Hall, the first meeting took place between the potential partners of the NextGen YouthWork project, where representatives of the Digital Innovation Zone were also present.
About the project
NextGen YouthWork aims to develop and improve youth work by implementing locally adapted solutions in the project’s partner countries. In this context, the network aims to support young people through solutions adapted to the needs and challenges of the online environment.
In the first part of the meeting, good practices implemented in the partner countries (Denmark, Lithuania, Finland, Spain) were presented, such as:
- Lands and spaces where young people can practice sports activities for free;
- Centers in each neighborhood, where young people can access refresher courses if they have not passed the exams;
- 24/7 chat support for young people with depression and anxiety;
- Digital hubs;
- Literature prizes for authors, offered by young people (Mandarache Prize)
The second part of the meeting was dedicated to a brainstorming session to jointly identify solutions and ideas through which the young people of Iasi county can be supported. Among the conclusions and ideas to be implemented through this project are:
- Creating youth centers in each neighborhood, in the form of hubs, where young people can find counselors to direct them to opportunities for leisure and self-knowledge, such as volunteering opportunities;
- Organizing reading evenings and book clubs that include a special guest and collaborations with the National Theatre;
- Promoting good practices such as the G Fest festival, a festival that encourages non-formal education among young people in Iași.
The meeting highlighted both international good practices and concrete ideas for their implementation at the local level, emphasizing the creation of opportunities and resources that contribute to the personal and professional development of young people in Iași County.
