Acronym for “Shaping Modern Approaches for Realistic Territorial Engagement Among Young Citizens”, SMART YOUTH project addresses a significant gap in the current Cohesion Policy and Territorial Cooperation Programmes framework: the underrepresentation and limited involvement of young people. This gap not only undermines the potential for innovative solutions, but weakens the sense of ownership and engagement among young citizens towards EU policies and initiatives.
The project intends in fact to create a Communication Task Force animated by experts and involving at least 400 young people across EU and IPA countries as communication guardians, delving into youth needs, expectations and skills to better shape the future of Territorial Cooperation and Cohesion Policy. The tasks of the Communication Task Force are to monitor, analyse and improve with specific actions the communications activities of Interreg Programmes. The analysis focuses on how Programmes disseminate the opportunities offered by the Cohesion Policies, how the whole process of selecting an operation is communicated and how the compulsory communication activities are implemented by the grant beneficiaries. A clear and dynamic communication strategy, prepared with the direct involvement of the young people and utilising various social media platforms, ensures extensive outreach. The strategy features a unique visual identity, precisely targeted messaging and content available in multiple EU languages to maximize engagement.
By blending traditional & ground-breaking methodologies SMART YOUTH devises innovative participatory processes. Beyond online interviews, surveys and dialogues, the project introduces the method of Youth Collaboration Hackathons that promise endless possibilities for innovation and for providing a new problem-solving approach to real-world challenges. The immersive, collaborative, real-world experience is highly engaging and relevant to young people and encourages them to take action in sharing experiences, entering into discussions about important issues and solving challenges. Young people are also involved in analysing and monitoring Interreg Programmes and the opportunities offered by Cohesion Policy, pointing out tools and strategies to support managing authorities and beneficiaries in improving their communication and dissemination capacities.
Specific objectives:
– Incorporate youth perspectives in Cohesion Policy and Territorial Cooperation Programmes, to ensure that the needs, ideas, and aspirations of young people are integrated into the post-2027 framework.
– Increase youth awareness and understanding of EU Cohesion Policies, enhancing in particular their knowledge of Interreg Programmes, Macroregional strategies and Cohesion Policy.
– Enhance youth participation in democratic and civic life of the EU, fostering a more profound sense of European citizenship and engagement among young people through active participation in the project activities.
Project title: SMART YOUTH Shaping Modern Approaches for Realistic Territorial Engagement Among Young Citizens
The project is financed by the European Commission – Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy
Call: ERDFTA-2024-YOUTH4COOP – Type of action: ERDFTA-PJG
Proposal number: 101190672
Duration: 10 Months. From November 2024 to August 2025
Total Budget: 9.951,00 Euro – Financing rate: 100%
