Direction Future - Starachowice Local Development Program

About this project

<p>Compared to the current demographic situation, the city will lose one third of its inhabitants in the next 30 years. Empty quarters, closed schools, problems with the budget, no investments, no manpower -&nbsp;the main problem of Starachowice to which the project responds is the shrinkage of the city and the low attractiveness of settlement.<br> The most important activities of the project:<br> - Preparations for the creation of an Eco-School in place of Primary School No. 11,<br> - Reconstruction of the historic and dilapidated building into the "Little Palace" Creativity Center;<br> - Improvement of the quality of educational services in the city;<br> - Activation of non-governmental organizations and civil society as well as the activation of social activity of the city's inhabitants;<br> - Adaptation of the city to climate change and increasing the environmental awareness of the inhabitants;<br> - New housing policy and preparation to accept new residents from outside Poland and creating conditions for their better adaptation in the city (new housing strategy, technical documentation for new ecological buildings);<br> - Building the city's brand and promotion strategy;<br> - Increasing the competences of local administration</p> <p>The aim of the project is to improve the quality of life of residents through the implementation of comprehensive social, educational, environmental and economic programs and projects, and to strengthen the institutional potential of the Leader and partner organizations. T</p> <p>The partnership brings together institutions and organizations with various ranges of activity, activity profiles and potentials.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p>

Bilateral cooperation results

The cooperation agreement was signed at the Starachowice City Hall in 2022 by the Mayor of Starachowice Marek Materek together with Vincent Mrimba, the Director of the Cultural Agency within the Department of Culture, Equality and Diversity of the City of Bergen. Bilateral cooperation focused on several areas: environment and ecology, housing policy, accessibility, formal and informal education, youth policy, institutional development and city management, culture, social activation, senior citizen policy. Case study visits, counselling support, workshops, training, youth exchanges, site visits, jobshadowing - these were the activities we have carried out together over the course of the project. The bilateral cooperation with the City of Bergen, with expert support, inspiration and solutions taken directly from Norway, had an invaluable impact on the final shape of: ECOSCHOOL; The Little Palace Creativity Centre; strategic documents on housing policy, education, environment, accessibility; the development of youth policy and of young people themselves taking part in international activities; Institutional development of the city. On the other hand, partners from Bergen have copied good practices from Starachowice, including the implementation of senior citizen policy, youth policy, social revitalisation of the city, cultural and sporting activities.

Project partners

• CITY OF BERGEN Donor project partner· Norway
• Our Health Foundation Project partner· Poland
• University of the Third Age Project partner· Poland
• Warsaw University of Technology Project partner· Poland
• Starachowice District Project partner· Poland
• Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce Project partner· Poland