YES Forum - Empowering young people - CitigenZ - Fostering a sense of belonging to the EU among the young people of Generation Z

Context:

While the 2019 European Parliament elections have been seen as a peak in young people's participation, this needs to be weighed against the fact that turnout among young people is just under 50%, and young people (18-24) remain the category of the population least likely to vote in European Parliament elections. As noted in the youth goals' explanatory memoranda, a growing number of young people no longer trust the EU and find it difficult to understand its principles, values and workings; "the democratic deficit in EU processes is also one of the reasons for the rise in Euroscepticism among young people", it states.

The basis for civic action is an understanding of citizenship. Since we can only act on what we understand and can only understand what we know, knowing, understanding and acting are the three phases and the three objectives of our project. CitiGenZ aims at equipping young people with a sound knowledge of the European Union and how it works, and giving them the means to act as European citizens, knowingly and actively.

Objectives:

CitiGenz focuses on 3 specific objectives:
1. KNOWING: Informing young people and raising their awareness about the European Union.

2. UNDERSTANDING: Deciphering European information, explaining it in relation to our daily lives so as to understand its implications.

3. ACTING: Supporting young people's commitment to Europe.

Activities & project results:

The project is divided into 3 types of activities

Creation of pedagogical content to inform about the EU and raise young people’s awareness through productions on social networks or an activity guide for youth workers
Communication campaigns to make the EU their own, through a game, a series of challenges and a campaign for the European Parliament elections
Local workshops and a youth exchange, to become active EU citizens

50 learning boxes to dive into the essentials of the EU: from its geography and impact on our daily life to its more technical aspects.

Learn more

Youth exchanges learning path

Volunteering learning path

Studies learning path

The Youth Workers' Handbook is a comprehensive guide designed to support youth and social workers in their work. Available in five languages (EN, FR, DE, SI, PT), it includes 11 fun and interactive activities and annexes to help professionals explore key topics.

The interactive game board complements the handbook, offering a fun and engaging way to dive into Europe and explore its main themes.

The Thematic Folders provide in-depth insights into the major topics shaping the European Union today. Covering fundamental values, digital and green transitions, economic policies, security, and EU enlargement, each folder contains seven carefully curated documents.

These resources are designed to support youth workers and young people in understanding and engaging with EU policies.

Learn more

Training programme for youth workers

Shadow cabinets

The CitigenZ Policy Paper explores the challenges, needs, and opportunities of educating young people about Europe in youth work.

It brings together key insights and recommendations to make European education more engaging and accessible from youth workers and young Europeans.