10/05/2026
At the end of March, we took part in the Civic X-Ray Training Course in Croatia, a programme built around active citizenship and civic engagement. The project empowered youth workers to inspire young people to observe, question, and get involved in their communities.
Back home, we put what we've learned into practice. We started with an online dissemination meeting where we shared the main ideas and methods from the project with a few collegues from our community. Together, we explored topics such as Civic Monitoring, the watchdog role of citizens, and alternative journalism, all focused on understanding how public institutions work, whether they respect their promises, and how young people can actively contribute to improving their communities.
The discussion created a lot of interest, especially because many participants discovered concepts they had never heard about before. Several of them shared that the session made them reflect more seriously on their role in society and the importance of being informed and involved.
Afterwards, we launched a survey focused on school dropout in Romania. We researched the measures already introduced at national level and invited people to share their opinions, experiences, and possible solutions. Many responses pointed to economic difficulties as one of the main causes behind school dropout, especially in situations where families move abroad in search of better opportunities. Participants also highlighted the need for stronger support systems for low-income families, including free meals, transportation, and financial support that could help children continue their education.
For us, this was an important reminder that civic engagement does not start with big political actions, but with asking questions, listening to people’s experiences, and creating conversations that push communities to think more critically about the problems around them.
LAG Vallis Colapis
