The most important needs in the drug education nowadays, is the necessity of new preventive programs and harm reduction actions, so as to make the youth work communication and messaging more attractive and more effective for young people. In the last few years, drug scene changed so much and young people started to use more dangerous new substances. Project partners experience shows that educators working with the youth, wanting to be effective and listened to by young people must use communication techniques that are currently in trend among youth. In most of the cases, youth workers speak with young people only about prevention and in a very formal way. Which is why the message not always reaches the addressee. Harm reduction and prevention should go along and currently popular forms of communication, such as short videos, vlogs, series should be used in the addressing drug education. The aim of the project is to support youth workers, educators (peer educators), street workers, harm reduction specialists working directly with youth who can potentially using drugs or already use them with the innovative approaches and methods on drug education. The main target group of the project will be youth workers, youth educators, peer educators and outreach workers who will be able to influence the young people who use drugs, directly within the outputs of the project. Approximately 100 youth workers, educators, peers, harm reduction specialists will be directly involved in the implementation of the project, through the different activities of the project. The project will consist of 3 intellectual outputs: - Assessment Report; - Manual on Drug Education; - Educational videos. The development of the manual on drug education will be complemented with 3 trainings: - Harm Reduction in Youth Work - Youth Work and Peer Education - Video and Media Advocacy 5 multiplier events will be organized in partners countries: Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria. In the beginning of the project, the online survey in each country and three focus groups will be conducted, to collect more comprehensive information and prepare Assessment Report (IO1) (based on the methodology and questionnaire prepared for the assessment). Based on the assessed drug education situation, the manual (IO2) will focus on the most efficient tools, methods, approaches, which can be used by the youth workers, educators and peers in their work with young people. The development of the manual will be complemented with 3 trainings, in which participants will give their insights, as well share experience. After the third training, participants will develop educational videos in their countries. In the end of the project, the multiplier events will be organized in 5 countries to disseminate results on national level and build new strategic partnerships between the harm reduction and youth organizations, as well other stakeholders. Impact envisaged: - New strategic partnerships with youth and harm reduction organizations will be built during the project; - This cooperation will allow development of new projects and further educational activities for marginalized youth and youth having experience of using drugs; - Staff and volunteers of organization could use intellectual outputs in their work with young people, while educating about drugs; - At least 3 participants in each training, from each of partner organization will be trained in drug education (including harm reduction, prevention and video advocacy) during three trainings; - This cooperation will allow development of new projects and further educational activities for marginalized youth and youth having experience of using drugs in the region; - The assessment report and methodology development will contribute to the better understanding and knowledge in regard to effective approaches in the region and to make advocacy on national level regarding the drug education (to identify the gaps, to make recommendations for the institutions). What is more, the developed intellectual outputs will be widely shared among different youth organizations, harm reduction organizations, as well educational institutions/ organizations (both formal and non-formal education). After the project, it is planned to organize series of webinars based on the module for youth workers, peers, civil society activists, harm reduction specialists from CEECA region, as well from European Union countries. Such results of the project as assessment and it’s methodology, manual and video-materials will be suggested as educational materials for civil society organizations working in the field of drug policy on European institutions level. Trained staff from national and regional organizations will be using skills and knowledge to further developing and sharing learning video materials as well as social media posts for youth after the project end as part of other EC supported projects.
1) To assess the situation of drug education (both in schools and in NGOs – extracurricular activities aftert school or univeristy) in the project partner countries, and to prepare a regional report; 2) To create a manual for youth and peer workers on how to communicate innovatively, engagingly and effectively with young people about drugs, as well as the risks associated with their use; 3) To prepare an online video about topics of interest to youth organizations, young people that are related to psychoactive substances, the work of youth organizations on this topic; 4) To prepare and conduct 3 trainings, the program of which would be based on the developed manual for youth workers and peer counselors about how to communicate with young people about drugs; 5) To discuss and share the results of the project at national level (in 5 countries), by inviting stakeholders to multiplier events, that influence the development of drug education policies, who work with young people who are (potentially) using psychoactive substances, who are responsible for developing responses in the health system when it comes to drug use; 6) Share the results of the project at national, European and regional level.
Almost no European country has drug education for young people. As our study later showed, in many countries there is prevention on the drugs topic, but not education as such. Prevention programs may be the appropriate solution if we think of young people who have not tried psychoactive substances. Yet, if we would talk of young people who are experimenting with psychoactive substances, prevention in many cases would not achieve its goal, because this group of young people "demand" information and knowledge that is presented in innovative ways, requiring methods to retain their health and life and the lives of friends. The aim of this project is to highlight that insufficient attention is paid to drug education, development of harm reduction topics in schools and non-governmental organizations. Another goal was to review existing strategies, tools for communicating with young people on the topic of drugs and how it should be done in an innovative way so that young people memorize information, would be eager to listen and would be actively involved in the creation of such information, sharing it with their peers. We also wanted to address – weak or non-existent cooperation between harm reduction and youth organizations.