Project: “International youth centre – think locally, act globally!”

Implemented in: Stara Zagora

Program: “Local development, poverty reduction and enhanced inclusion of vulnerable groups”

Implementation period: 01.07.2020 – 30.06.2023

Lead organisation: Stara Zagora Municipality, Republic of Bulgaria

Partner: Glemmen videregående skole (Norway)

Project summary: 
The project will create an opportunity to upgrade and expand the activities of the International Youth Centre in Stara Zagora by optimizing the conditions for social inclusion of vulnerable groups. During the period of implementation of the activities, the territorial scope and the scope of the people involved will be expanded. Through youth activities implemented on the basis of non-formal education methods, cities and villages will be reached in the area where young people at risk and their families reside. This will provide access to the activities of the youth center of people, who for territorial, socio-cultural or economic reasons are unable to participate directly in the activity of the center. The focus of the team of youth workers and mediators is on children, young people and the elderly from ethnic minorities, those at risk and dropouts from the formal education system, those placed in residential social services, at risk of poverty and social exclusion. The main goal of the center’s activities is to involve and create conditions for support, social inclusion and personal development of the people involved. The goal will be achieved by informing, consulting, organizing leisure activities, trainings, etc. In order to ensure better and more diverse activities, the YC team, together with representatives of the target group, will participate in the exchange of experience and good practices with partner organizations from the country, program donor states and other EU countries. The project proposal covers several main specific objectives. In view of the limited space capacity of the Youth Centre building, it is planned an adjacent room to be connected to it. After renovation activities and appropriate furnishing and equipment, it will provide space for young people’s leisure activities. Building such a corner will create a prerequisite for attracting and retaining more young people at the center, who will enjoy and spend their free time in entertainment and training in a pleasant and safe environment. With regard to the activities of the International Youth Centre, the objectives are focused on widening the territorial and age range, as well as diversifying and increasing the variety of activities carried out by the team. This gives the team the opportunity to reach young people and their families who live in settlements far from the municipal center. Enriching the activities and widening the scope of work of youth workers and mediators will increase the size of the group of people involved and will improve the work capacity of the center. The project proposal seeks to strengthen partnerships with organizations with a similar vision and mission at local, national and international levels. Support in the framework of international action has been identified as crucial in enhancing cooperation within the youth sector at European level. Through exchanges of good practices and the inclusion of young people from vulnerable groups in them, it will be possible to broaden the horizons of young people, enrich their culture and create self-confidence in them. Within the project, partnerships with organizations from donor countries and other EU countries will be strengthened and expanded. The implementation of activities of the Youth Centre in its various directions is aimed at creating a prerequisite for social inclusion and inclusion of vulnerable groups, personal development and acquisition of new knowledge and skills, psychological and counseling support and empowerment of young people and their families inhabiting the territory of Stara Zagora region.

Grant amount: 956 635 EUR

Contact: Georgi Simeonov
email: g.simeonov@starazagora.bg
phone: + 359 359 896 610968
address: 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, 107 Tsar Simeon Veliki Blvd.
website: https://iyc.starazagora.bg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalYouthCenterStaraZagora