We are pleased to share our story about how the participation of the City of Pula-Pola in the Europe Goes Local initiative contributed to the development of local youth policies and the creation of a stimulating environment for youth work in our city.
The City of Pula-Pola joined the Europe Goes Local initiative with the aim of strengthening the capacities of local governments and stakeholders at the local level in the field of youth policy creation and the development of quality youth work. Based on an open call published on October 14, 2021 on the website of the European Union Agency for Mobility and Programmes, the City of Pula was selected as one of 16 Croatian cities included in the national project.
As part of the project, a representative of the City of Pula participated in the training “Working with Youth at the Local Level“, held in Slunj from 18 to 21 January 2022. During the training, participants exchanged experiences and learned about various aspects of working with youth at the local level – from youth participation in decision-making and the development of a stimulating environment for youth work, to examples of good practice and opportunities for financing youth activities.
One of the key results of this process was the application and implementation of the project “Youth in the (local) program of the City of Pula – Pola”, which was implemented in the period from 1 January 2023 to 29 February 2024 with the support of the Erasmus+ program (key activity KA154 – Youth participation activities) in the amount of 31,300 euros. The Istra Volunteer Center, the ZUM Association, the Foundation for Promoting Partnership and Development of Civil Society and the Pula – Pola School of Education participated as partners in the implementation of the project.
Through the project, young people actively participated in the process of shaping youth policies. A participatory action research on the needs of young people was conducted, a series of training courses and workshops, and thematic dialogues between young people and decision-makers. As part of these activities, eight thematic dialogues were held, covering key areas of youth policy development: active youth participation and sustainable community development, education, culture, youth work, employment and entrepreneurship development, youth mobility, social inclusion, and health, recreation and sport.
The result of this process was the adoption of a strategic document for youth entitled the Local Youth Program of the City of Pula-Pola 2024–2027, which was adopted at the session of the City Council on June 25, 2024. The program defines goals, measures and activities in eight thematic areas important for the quality of life of young people and represents the basis for systematic planning and implementation of youth policies in Pula.
A brochure of the Local Youth Program was also produced, the content and visual identity of which were designed by young people themselves during a participatory workshop within the framework of the Erasmus+ project. The brochure has also been translated into Italian, in accordance with the bilingualism in force in the City of Pula – Pola, and has been disseminated to all schools and other relevant stakeholders, and is also available at the Pula Youth Center.
As the most important step in the further development of youth work, the Pula Youth Center was opened in March 2025 – a space intended for the implementation of various programs, activities and initiatives for youth. The center represents a place of meeting, learning and creation for young people, where educational workshops, cultural and creative programs, non-formal education activities, volunteering and youth participation in community life are carried out. Special emphasis is placed on the active involvement of young people in the design and implementation of programs, making the Center a platform for the development of their ideas, competences and social engagement.
Participation in the Europe Goes Local initiative has contributed to strengthening cooperation between the City, civil society organizations and young people and has encouraged the development of a more systematic approach to working with young people and their inclusion in the development of the local community. Today, the results of this process are particularly evident through the activities of the Pula Youth Center, which represents an open and stimulating space for the development of ideas, initiatives and active participation of young people in the life of the city.
Get in contact : www.pula.hr
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Grad Pula – Pola uključio se u inicijativu Europe Goes Local s ciljem jačanja kapaciteta lokalne samouprave i dionika na lokalnoj razini u području kreiranja politika za mlade i razvoja kvalitetnog rada s mladima. Na temelju otvorenog poziva objavljenog 14. listopada 2021. godine na mrežnim stranicama Agencije za mobilnost i programe Europske unije, Grad Pula odabran je kao jedan od 16 hrvatskih gradova uključenih u nacionalni projekt.
U okviru projekta predstavnica Grada Pule sudjelovala je na treningu „Rad s mladima na lokalnoj razini“, održanom u Slunju od 18. do 21. siječnja 2022. godine Tijekom treninga sudionici su razmjenjivali iskustva i učili o različitim aspektima rada s mladima na lokalnoj razini – od sudjelovanja mladih u donošenju odluka i razvoja poticajnog okruženja za rad s mladima, do primjera dobre prakse i mogućnosti financiranja aktivnosti za mlade.
Jedan od ključnih rezultata tog procesa bila je prijava i provedba projekta „Mladi u (lokalnom) programu Grada Pula – Pola“, koji se provodio u razdoblju od 1. siječnja 2023. do 29. veljače 2024. godine uz potporu Erasmus+ programa (ključna aktivnost KA154 – Aktivnosti sudjelovanja mladih) u iznosu od 31.300 eura. U provedbi projekta kao partneri su sudjelovali Volonterski centar Istra, Udruga ZUM, Zaklada za poticanje partnerstva i razvoja civilnog društva i Škola za odgoj i obrazovanje Pula – Pola.
Kroz projekt su mladi aktivno sudjelovali u procesu oblikovanja politika za mlade. Provedeno je participativno akcijsko istraživanje potreba mladih, niz edukacija i radionica te tematski dijalozi između mladih i donositelja odluka. U okviru tih aktivnosti održano je osam tematskih dijaloga koji su obuhvatili ključna područja razvoja politika za mlade: aktivno sudjelovanje mladih i održivi razvoj zajednice, obrazovanje, kultura, rad s mladima, zapošljavanje i razvoj poduzetništva, mobilnost mladih, socijalna uključenost te zdravlje, rekreaciju i sport.
Rezultat ovog procesa bilo je donošenje strateškog dokumenta za mlade pod nazivom Lokalni program za mlade Grada Pula-Pola 2024–2027, koji je usvojen na sjednici Gradskog vijeća 25. lipnja 2024. godine. Program definira ciljeve, mjere i aktivnosti u osam tematskih područja važnih za kvalitetu života mladih te predstavlja temelj za sustavno planiranje i provedbu politika za mlade u Puli.
Izrađena je i brošura Lokalnog programa za mlade, čiji su sadržaj i vizualni identitet osmislili sami mladi tijekom participativne radionice u okviru Erasmus+ projekta. Brošura je prevedena i na talijanski jezik, u skladu s dvojezičnošću koja je na snazi u Gradu Puli – Pola, te je diseminirana svim školama i drugim relevantnim dionicima, a dostupna je i u Centru za mlade Pula.
Kao najvažniji korak u daljnjem razvoju rada s mladima, u ožujku 2025. godine otvoren je i Centar za mlade Pula – prostor namijenjen provedbi različitih programa, aktivnosti i inicijativa za mlade. Centar predstavlja mjesto susreta, učenja i stvaranja za mlade, u kojem se provode edukativne radionice, kulturni i kreativni programi, aktivnosti neformalnog obrazovanja, volontiranja i participacije mladih u životu zajednice. Poseban naglasak stavlja se upravo na aktivno uključivanje mladih u osmišljavanje i provedbu programa, čime Centar postaje platforma za razvoj njihovih ideja, kompetencija i društvenog angažmana.
Sudjelovanje u inicijativi Europe Goes Local doprinijelo je jačanju suradnje između Grada, organizacija civilnog društva i mladih te potaknulo razvoj sustavnijeg pristupa radu s mladima i njihovom uključivanju u razvoj lokalne zajednice. Danas se rezultati tog procesa posebno očituju kroz djelovanje Centra za mlade Pula, koji predstavlja otvoren i poticajan prostor za razvoj ideja, inicijativa i aktivnog sudjelovanja mladih u životu grada.
Kontakt: www.pula.hr