Between 25–30 September 2025, youth from across Europe gathered in Athens for an inspiring week-long training as part of the YoReC – Young People for Resilient Communities project (funded by Erasmus+). The event brought together young people from five partner countries (Italy, Greece, Germany, Portugal and Hungary) to explore creative and participatory methods that build community engagement, storytelling, and democratic action.
Representing Cooperative City Budapest, Lukács Hayes travelled to Athens together with four alumni of the Katalizátor Program – the winners of our recent social video competition. These young people had already shown remarkable initiative by producing short films that highlight pressing societal issues and propose creative solutions. In Athens, they took the next step: becoming youth community leaders ready to put their ideas into action.
Exploring New Ways to Engage Youth
While Cooperative City’s approach already builds on civic education, participation, and democratic learning, the methodologies showcased by our partners offered a new perspective. Many of the activities in Athens were storytelling-based, rooted in art, creativity, and personal expression.
Workshops focused on stop motion animation, where participants learned how simple, everyday objects and stories can be transformed into powerful visual narratives. This process revealed how accessible artistic tools can nurture empathy, ownership, and motivation to act within one’s community. Turning ordinary topics into captivating stories proved to be an effective way to connect young people’s lived experiences with broader social issues.
Youth Leadership in Action
Our four Hungarian participants demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and an open spirit throughout the training. They immersed themselves in new creative techniques and built strong international connections with peers. As they return to Budapest, they bring back fresh methodologies, new energy, and a renewed commitment to engage their own communities.
In the coming months, these young leaders will continue to collaborate with Cooperative City and Katalizátor Program to develop local youth initiatives, applying the storytelling and creative engagement techniques learned in Athens to inspire their peers.
Reflections and Next Steps
For Cooperative City, the Athens training was a valuable learning experience — a reminder that youth engagement can take many forms, and that art and storytelling are powerful democratic tools. By integrating these methods into our local practice, we aim to make civic participation more relatable, emotional, and action-oriented for young people in Budapest, Debrecen and Szeged.
The YoReC project continues to build bridges across Europe, empowering young people to become active agents of social change. And as our youth leaders take the next steps, we’re proud to see them shaping more resilient, creative, and inclusive communities.
