The following objectives formed the foundation of START POINT project: a. To provide thorough insights into the challenges faced by underserved young adults in their social and civic integration process and provide a roadmap on how to better serve their needs b. To empower young disadvantaged adults (aged 20-30) as informed, engaged, responsible, and responsive global citizens, by strengthening their personal and social responsibility attitudes and enhancing key transversal citizenship skills that meet the demands of the 21st century (critical inquiry, social justice, perspective-taking, decision-making, creativity, problem solving, integration in the digital society, intercultural competences etc) c. To upskill social actors, facilitators of change and adult educators to work effectively with disadvantaged adults in the field of enhancing civic engagement and commitment d. To highlight citizenship as a core value for the functioning and well-being of a democratic society that embraces all of its members on equal terms e. To influence decision making and facilitate reasoned policy reforms that will result in improving the current framework of citizenship education on the basis of the identified needs
We applied for this project to address critical societal needs in the context of supporting & expanding the political & social involvement of marginalized adults on various levels. People with migration or refugee backgrounds, low-skilled and/or low-income young adults in Europe are facing declining political participation due to several factors. They often feel disillusioned with traditional political structures, perceiving them as disconnected from their daily lives & ineffective in addressing their concerns. The rapid technology advancements create an overwhelming digital landscape, making it challenging for them to navigate reliable information & engage in meaningful political discussions. Socioeconomic factors, including economic instability, or cultural integration barriers, lead them to prioritize immediate personal concerns over politics. Moreover, the lack of targeted efforts to involve & empower young disadvantaged adults, along with limited access to citizenship education & insufficient encouragement, further discourages their civic engagement. The project served as a START POINT to democratic action by creating accessible learning environments that intersect with the social contexts of disadvantaged adults.