Opportunities for Young People

The aim of the “Opportunities for Young People” project is to give young people  opportunities to participate in the development and decision-making of their own area.

The project brings together young people from different backgrounds and cultures to exchange experiences and practices. The purpose of the project is to increase and develop Leader activities for young people in the Turku region and to increase youth Leader cooperation and international youth cooperation between Leader areas. The project explores new ways to participate in society and encourages young people to take part in local development. The project provides young people with valuable learning experiences and expands their skills, networks and understanding of rural development. The project will organize group activities for youths, as well as provide channels, networking, training and international and local peer learning.

The activities organized in the project are open to everyone who is 13-29 year old and interested in decision-making and international cooperation. The project also involves cooperation with the region’s youth councils, youth associations and those involved in youth work. With the help of youth workshops and a youth work group, Varsin Hyvä gains valuable information about the development needs of their area from the perspective of young people.

The project includes study tours to the regions of project partners, workshops for young people and visits to interesting and insightful locations. The goal is to use different methods, real and digital, (for example video clips from meetings and workshops) and share the end-product in the form of a guidebook. Every partner will have an opportunity to translate it in their own language and to print it at their own expense. Each partner country is responsible for hosting at least one field trip in its turn. Each of the participating LAGs will attend these events with relevant delegations.

OBJECTIVES

1. Increase the participation of young people in local activities, development, projects and decision-making
2. Establish a youth work-group in the Varsin Hyvä area and develop the Varsin Hyvä youth activities together with local young people
3. Develop and market the Youth Leader financial tool together with young people
4. Diversify the skills of young people in the region and of young people in the youth work group, such as language skills, teamwork skills and working skills
5. Promote the employment of young people
6. Prevent the exclusion of young people
7. Look for and try new ways of doing things that can help local young people participate in local development and decision-making, especially at the municipal level
8. Develop youth co-operation between Finnish Leader groups
9. Encourage young people to participate and express their own views.
10. Create opportunities for young people to internationalize themselves.
11. Increase international cooperation between European Leader groups and others who are involved with young people