Together Closer
City of Spišská Belá ·Slovakia
About this project
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif">An established multifunctional centre for children and youth will create not only opportunities for full leisure time, but also for work with children, young people, and key adults (teachers and youth workers). The youth club, which is to be reconstructed, will be the space where children will not only spend their free time but will also learn tolerance and non-discrimination. It aims to prevent racism or extremism, which is excessive in the district. By creating a full-fledged program, the project will contribute to increasing and strengthening the competencies of children and young people at risk of social and economic exclusion. The multifunctional center will include the Pôjd (Loft) educational center, which will be used for non-formal and experiential education, inspiring, innovative, and coworking activities. By building a training center, it will contribute to raising awareness of non-formal education, but it will also create a space for informal activities that address prevention programs such as awareness-raising, tolerance-oriented activities, working with the media, and media literacy, as well as activities aimed at cyberbullying or inclusion. </span></span></p>
Bilateral cooperation results
The project greatly benefited from the partnership with the Norwegian organization, which provided valuable insights and inspiration. A key activity was a study visit to Norway, where participants learned how Norwegian youth clubs operate, how the education system integrates formal and informal learning, and how organizations work with children and youth. Each day featured a rich program, including visits to various organizations dedicated to youth education. The hosts shared their practices, presented their approaches, and engaged in discussions, providing answers to all questions. This bilateral cooperation resulted in the adoption of innovative methods and approaches for youth work in Slovakia. The study visit concluded with a collaborative session to identify shared needs and explore solutions through mutual cooperation. A significant focus was on improving support for teachers. Together with the Norwegian partner, a survey was developed to assess the needs and expectations of teachers, enabling the creation of tailored programs and activities. The Norwegian partner also provided a guideline detailing principles for effective collaboration with educators. Despite the successful collaboration, further bilateral activities are not possible, as the Norwegian partner ceased operations during the project. However, the knowledge and experience gained through this cooperation have significantly enriched the project’s outcomes and will continue to inspire future activities.
Project partners
- Newschool AS Donor project partner· Norway
- Expression o.z. Project partner· Slovakia
- Kežmarok ´s platform for civic integration Project partner· Slovakia
- Center for children and families Spisska Bela Project partner· Slovakia