Academy of Young Leaders of Zhmerynka

Young people in Zhmerynka learned leadership, community needs assessment and the basics of project management.

NGO “Unique Country”, together with the Polish non-governmental organization Fundacja Civis Polonus, implemented the joint project “Academy of Young Leaders of Zhmerynka”.

The project was aimed at supporting young people who want to better understand the life of their community, see its needs and contribute to positive changes in the city.

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Training for young people

Within the project, workshops were organized for 18 young people from Zhmerynka who want to change their city for the better.

Participants of the Academy learned how to study the needs and problems of the community, analyse the causes of these problems, look for possible solutions and turn ideas into realistic project initiatives.

Special attention was given to teamwork, responsibility, leadership and practical skills in planning social projects.

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From ideas to action

After the training part, participants worked in project teams and developed their own initiatives for the community. Some of these projects were implemented with mentoring support from NGO “Unique Country”.

For us, it is important that the Academy became not only a training course, but also an opportunity for young people to try themselves in the role of change-makers. It is through such practical formats that young people gain experience of responsible participation, cooperation and belief in their own ability to influence community life.

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Partnership and support

The project “Academy of Young Leaders of Zhmerynka” was co-financed by the Education for Democracy Foundation within the framework of the RITA — “Changes in the Region” programme, funded by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation.

NGO “Unique Country” values its partnership with Fundacja Civis Polonus and the opportunity to jointly support the development of youth leadership, civic participation and democratic practices at the local level.