The "Speak It Up" project aimed to: - Create an innovative non-formal educational package for youth trainers and youth workers to assist young people in developing and/or improving their life skills related to public speaking. -Create an interactive app and a fun learning game to supplement training, capturing the youths' interest in their learning process. -Support the processes that trainers/educators and youth workers use to motivate young people to participate in democratic structures and institutions through practical activities. The project focused on developing an informal educational package for youth trainers and workers, enhancing public speaking skills in young people (18–30 years old) with a focus on communication, interpersonal skills, and presentation techniques. It addressed key priorities such as promoting common values, civic engagement, active citizenship, and youth entrepreneurship. While many young people are motivated to engage in politics and society, they often feel disconnected from democratic structures. This project empowered youth to participate more actively in democratic processes and community decision-making, helping them express their voices and engage in the democratic societies of tomorrow's EU
We applied for this project to address the critical gap in young people's public speaking skills, which are essential for active participation in democratic processes. Despite growing interest among youth in politics and society, many are still disconnected from traditional democratic structures. This is primarily due to a lack of confidence and communication skills, which are necessary to effectively engage in public debate and decision-making. Our needs assessment showed that youth in all partner countries face challenges in developing these skills, and there are very few educational models or training tools available for youth workers to support them in this area. Both young people and youth workers identified the need for improved educational tools to help develop public speaking skills, which would, in turn, foster greater youth involvement in democratic processes and civic activities. This project fills this gap by creating an innovative, non-formal educational package, including a curriculum, e-handbook, app, and interactive board game. These tools equip youth trainers and youth workers with the necessary tools to foster effective democratic engagement among youth and contribute to building moreinclusive European societies