Keywords

1 Introduction

Decide on Europe – Become a European Policy Maker for a Day was an EU-related youth project with project activities and participants in the Czech Republic and Slovakia funded by Erasmus+ between 2019 and 2021. It was part of a series of similar projects, which started in 2008, and since then was carried out several times in a similar way with a changing thematic focus. By organising youth meetings, one-day interactive seminars in the regions, a simulation of EU institution meetings and a conference for secondary school students from all types of schools, the project aimed to promote dialogue between young people in both countries on European topics, as well as their dialogue with decision-makers and experts (EUTIS 2022).

The main organiser of the project was a Czech non-profit organisation called EUTIS, which was founded by a group of young students 1 year after the Czech Republic joined the European Union in 2004. The founders were mainly students of political sciences and European studies. They had a feeling that many Czech citizens do not know about the European Union and what it means to be a part of it.Footnote 1 The main aim of founding this organisation, therefore, was to inform young people about the EU, to help them becoming active and to engage them in EU-centred debates. Later, they started working with students at schools and universities, as well as teachers as their new, main target group.

The project described here mainly concentrated on the European Union and its institutions but also aimed at the telling and teaching of modern history, educating people about nationalism and supporting active citizenship. Thus, it was part of the overall strategy of EUTIS to provide political and historical education. In the meantime, the organisation has become a key player in this field, with a high degree of professionalisation and access to networks and European funding.

2 General Local and Regional Environment

In both the Czech Republic and Slovakia, politics and politicians in general are not perceived positively and are often associated with corruption and injustice (European Commission 2022). While more people in Slovakia see the European Union in a positive light, Czech people are more Eurosceptic. This has changed slightly after Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. According to Michael Murad, who conducted many surveys together with his team, about 50 per cent of the population support the Czech Republic’s membership in the EU (Anders and Lorenz 2020).Footnote 2 Assuming that this is related to a lack of information, the project team sought to engage more people with European membership issues.

Unemployment amongst young people is not a big issue for the Czech Republic, as it has the lowest unemployment rate in the European Union, as well as the lowest unemployment rate amongst young people. The situation is much more complicated and diverse in Slovakia, especially in its eastern regions (The World Bank 2022).

According to EUTIS, due to a large number of ongoing projects, access to information concerning EU-related issues and projects is much easier in Prague or Bratislava than in small towns. Though the European Union is a topic in the curricula of both countries, schools are not always supportive, especially in rural regions, in providing access to EU events and projects. To some extent, this can be attributed to individual schools because the education systems of the Czech Republic and Slovakia are highly decentralised. Especially educational institutions with large numbers of students from low-income families are under daily stress and less involved in project activities. The interviewed organisation also reports that it is quite difficult to reach students in rural regions because their overall satisfaction with their own lives and their opportunities are not as high as the opportunities available to students living in cities. Quite successful projects, run by the Representative Offices of the European Commission in Prague and Bratislava, involve hundreds of pupils or secondary school students every year. Regional initiatives held all around the country, in contrast, have quite a low impact, but they contribute to increasing students’ interest in such projects.

3 The Project

The project Decide on Europe focused not only on those who are already active in project activities but also on students who are not involved in existing European initiatives. It aimed at demonstrating to the participants what the EU is like and what it means to be a European policymaker for 1 day. The project was specifically designed for high school students from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The seminars consisted of two parts: one was a simulation of meetings of the European Council and the European Parliament and the other a debate with politicians, experts and other public figures. These regional seminars were followed by a 3-day model meeting of the EU institutions, to which important EU politicians from the Czech Republic and Slovakia were invited. Furthermore, there were many partners involved, for example, the Centre for European Policy, Departments of Political Science, the Czech Republic Representation of the European Commission and the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The project’s main objective was to involve young people in debates and to give them a feeling of being heard. They were offered space where they could freely express their ideas and themselves and where they could talk with decision-makers and politicians. The organisers considered it very important not to design the project as a competition with prizes for the winners but to create an inclusive project where everyone can have their own experiences and achievements. The project was supposed to activate students and help them to decide on their future. To enable participants to engage in the dialogues, one goal of the project was to provide young people with the competence they need, teach them the basics about EU institutions and show them that they do not have to hesitate to express their opinions and thoughts. The organisation did not support any particular political figure or party.

When planning the project and applying for funding, the organisers benefited from their expertise from previous projects funded by Erasmus. They already had many contacts and connections with key persons and could cooperate with them. Most of them are working in the field of civic education and EU rights. Many members are working on several projects at once, all of which are EU-funded, so it felt logical for them to apply for this specific one as well. The application process was mainly carried out by the organisers of the Czech project and became transnational when the project started to involve the Slovakian partners. The amount of funding was about €45,000 and was used for staff, travel costs and investments for the project. Investments were, for example, the rental costs for rooms in which the projects took place or accommodation costs for guests who were invited to participate in the seminars.

The experienced team already knew how to effectively attract a large number of participants. One way of disseminating information about the project to possible participants was to use an open call, but the students usually received information about the project from schools. Therefore, the close cooperation with schools, but also with representatives from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, played a crucial role. The organisers have many contacts especially around the Czech Republic to teachers who knew the idea of the EUTIS project from the past and supported it.

According to EUTIS, the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic and the Representative Office of the European Commission in Prague were especially helpful in structuring the dialogue and carrying out this project. In Slovakia, the main partners were the Slovak Foreign Policy Association and the Representative Office of the European Commission in Bratislava. The project was also realised, thanks to the support of Europe Direct in Czech Republic, the Centre of Foreign Cooperation, the Centre for European Policy (Bratislava), the National Working Group for Structured Dialogue with Youth and the Czech Republic’s Eurodesk.

Since the project format had been carried out several times since 2007, the organisers could rely on their experience and develop a realistic project plan. During the project, there was no need to deviate from the set plan, and everything took place as planned.

4 Outcomes

The project developed into one of the biggest projects in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with seminars and meetings being held almost everywhere and with hundreds of participants. In total, 1000 students from both countries took part in the pre-COVID-19 period. Important politicians and members of the European Parliament and the European Commission spoke to the students. The organisers were able to involve students from many new schools they had not been able to reach before. Hence, the organisation reports that the aim to give many students the possibility to gain knowledge about European politics, to develop competence and to get into contact with decision-makers and experts was fully accomplished. Project participants learned how to express their opinion on political issues that they had not discussed before. Through the various workshops and events, they received new information and insights as well as access to decision-makers that they would not have met without the project.

After the completion of the project, the project team reported on the outcomes, not only for Erasmus+, but also for the regional partners. It invited the representatives of the national agencies, as well as the members of the European Parliament to participate in project activities, including the Czech Commissioner. It also tried to maintain contact with participants to see their progress, which turned out to be easy in most cases. Participants from previous years were still very interested in EU-related projects and involved in many cross-national initiatives. Many of them reported that participation in the project was something that activated them; raised and increased their interest in politics, the European Union and international relations; and helped them choose their field of studies when finishing school and choosing their future careers. In the meantime, many of these students are working in important positions, for example, for their regional governments.

EUTIS perceives both the successful realisation of the planned workshops and events and the long-term effects as the project’s main achievements. For the short-term outcomes, the project team carried out many evaluations amongst participants and received feedback from schools, to estimate the effects of the work conducted. As long-term effects, participants have gained experience that has enabled them to be more involved in volunteering and active citizenship and to be engaged in politics. The lasting engagement of the participants with the topics after the termination of the project, as well as the participants’ motivation to stay active and to make a change, is something the organisers interpret as an important outcome.

5 Success Factors

The described project and previous projects of EUTIS suggest that the success factors for carrying out EU-related education projects include a clear focus on a particular target group, having experience and an established network, combining EU politics with local issues or a local perspective and transnational cooperation.

According to EUTIS, a factor contributing to the success of the project was its orientation toward secondary school students and the adaptation of the main project idea to this target group. It was easier to incorporate the project into their schedules compared to other possible target groups. The project took place over the course of a school year, starting in September and ending in January, and was planned to match the age and maturity of the participating students. According to the organisers, not pressuring but guiding the students was important to encourage them to express their political opinions, especially because speaking about politics is not common in Czech and Slovak schools. For the dialogues, smaller groups were formed, which helped the students to express themselves and made them less hesitant.

The clear focus on the secondary school students also helped to identify and develop a format which is appealing for particularly this target group. Dialogue with decision-makers and the possibility to learn how it feels when your voice is counted is another point that motivated students to take part and be active in the project. Moreover, the organisers felt that this is not just important for the target group but for Europe too. It needs students who are motivated and want to change something.

The existing project expertise and the established network based on previous projects also contributed in putting the project aims into effect in an environment where support by schools for EU-related projects is not the rule. Since the project format was already well established and well known by teachers, many schools were willing to participate again. Under such conditions, it was possible to adjust the school’s curriculum to the project, allowing students to participate. Other project partners, including politicians and experts, were also aware of the project and willing to participate again. The established team and network structure increased efficiency and facilitated a commitment to the project aims. Everyone worked together to eliminate obstacles and make the project accessible for students.

The expertise and networks also enabled the team to adapt the project easily to changing political developments to show what is relevant at the moment, to try to incorporate innovative methods and to monitor new or changing funding options. The last phase of the project, for example, was included in the Conference on the Future of Europe. With a basic set of cooperation partners, the organisers could concentrate their forces on mobilising new ones, like in the described project, where many new schools could be reached. Under such conditions, a flexible expansion of project activities becomes easier and less costly.

Combining EU politics with local issues or a local perspective was also important. For now, the project is focusing on regional and local topics and is trying to connect them with EU topics to offer the participants added value. It helps them to process the newly learned EU-related topics and to think more about the European Union, even if it is far away from young people’s personal lives. Thus, the project successfully combined regional topics and bigger EU narratives and supported this by allowing the participants to talk to politicians and decision-makers. Previous runs of the project had shown that inviting local politicians and local members of the European Union is a little more efficient than bringing in the ‘big names’. It can work to bring in the ‘big names’, but the participants usually feel a closer connection to people from their own countries.

It is also important to recognise that meeting politicians and members of the European Parliament is not the primary focus of many participating students. According to EUTIS’ experience, they were instead keener on learning something new and meeting other people of their own age, who are interested in the topics as well. In this particular project, students were able to meet students from another country, as the Czech Republic and Slovakia worked on this together. As the organisers report, the meetings with the numerous young participants were great events that increased the students’ motivation and made the project even more successful.

The organisers think that explicit cross-border projects can be motivational because they allow students to enter into dialogue with their peers from other countries, backgrounds and cultures. The described project was carried out in two languages—Czech and Slovak. Since both languages are relatively close to each other, this was no problem. EUTIS supposes that English might be a higher barrier for the students but not for the organisers who have already implemented project activities in English.

6 Problems and Wishes

Problems faced in the project and similar projects conducted by EUTIS include a socially unbalanced interest in EU issues and reluctance especially from vocational schools in rural areas to cooperate, as well as funding.

According to the organisation, the first obstacle for EU-related projects and events is that the participants tend to represent a more or less homogeneous group of university students or young people in the capitals or larger cities. In a sense, this makes such events less efficient in terms of political education because this group already has a substantial degree of knowledge about the European Union and participation in EU affairs. Therefore, EUTIS wanted to engage new people in the described project. This, however, means leaving the capitals or big cities (where EU-focused organisations are often located) for seminars and meetings also in the rural regions. This is cheaper for high school students, who do not have money to travel long distances, but more costly for the organisation carrying out the project.

The project team had actively decided to focus on those people, who were not yet involved in the projects and active citizenship. They tried to aim not only at secondary schools and universities but also at professional schools from rural regions. However, at this step, the organisers faced several obstacles because teachers did not want young people to participate in such projects. The main reasons according to the organisation were confusing political education with politics and a rather negative image of the European Union. Some of the principals refused the participation of their students in this project because they perceived it as a kind of political project. They thought that this project was carried out with the support of a political party, which was not the case. Since politics in general is often perceived relatively negatively and linked to clientelism and corruption, dealing with European politics was perceived as potentially problematic. Though the project team tried to explain that this project is not focused on party politics but on an explanation on how the European Union works, they could not convince all principals, particularly in the Czech Republic.

Another obstacle is funding issues or funding obligations. According to EUTIS, EU-related youth work in their regions needs public funding because the organisations lack their own resources. EUTIS was quite autonomous in its decision-making and did not have to adapt strongly to EU requirements. However, it has reported that some organisations are facing challenges, for instance, Erasmus+ − funded projects. The EU project obligations are quite low, but the system is quite slow. The process of getting EU funding has become easier than it was before, but it is getting more complicated for small and unexperienced organisations, especially those coming from rural regions, which makes it difficult for them to receive EU funding.

Another obstacle is that the described kind of project does not have much funding to pay for personal costs but more for consumables. However, a solid staff structure is also necessary. Therefore, organisations carrying out projects like the one described must always look for additional and future funding. This takes time that cannot be invested in working with young people, and it causes material insufficiencies, especially in smaller organisations.

7 Conclusion

What the organisers are glad about is that the project is growing in terms of partnerships. Over the years, they were able to get more stable funding, enabling them to initiate even more projects and helping them to secure the organisation’s future. They hope that the project will grow even bigger with many more European partners and with more young people and political figures involved. This would also mean that there can be room for innovations, so that the project can evolve and cover more topics.

As for the long-term effects, previous realisations of the project have shown that it helps to engage people, to make them politically active and to show them that their voice matters and that they can make a difference. The project, furthermore, shows students that the European Union is closer to them than it may seem, which makes them perceive it more positively. It also helps the participants to become more resilient toward populists, who try to instrumentalise the feeling that the EU is something far away. To improve the long-term effects, according to EUTIS, a big change in the national educational system would be necessary, for example, by creating classes for civic education. This would provide access to political education to a broader range of students.

EUTIS recommends others who want to work with young people in Europe to engage as much as possible, to focus on dialogue rather than monologue, to listen to people as they often have great ideas for the future, to provide them with knowledge about the systems they live in, to give them competence that helps them to express and put their ideas into effect and to help them to be more active.