Civic Highlands

• Increasing Civic Participation in Communities: Civic Highlands aims to create practical opportunities for community members to move from awareness to active participation and initiative. Through workshops, working sessions, community activities, and consultations, participants will gain the tools they need to identify local issues, formulate proposals, and contribute to the development of their communities. The project aims to mobilise 200 volunteers through its activities and reach 250 people, including people from vulnerable groups, through capacity-building measures.
• Engaging Young People in Community Life: A central component of the project is the Youth Parliament, designed as a practical mechanism for civic participation. At least 80 students will be involved in its activities, while the 10 civic micro-projects will enable young people to turn their ideas into concrete actions. The 10 consultations with local authorities will also create opportunities for dialogue between young people and local public administrations, with the project aiming for civic participation to contribute to the improvement of 3 public measures.
• Strengthening Civil Society and Local Cooperation: The project aims to strengthen organisational capacity and foster cooperation among civil society actors. Through organisational development activities, the project aims to enable 3 civil society actors to improve their organisational capacity or collaboration skills.
• Environmental Education and Biodiversity: An important aspect of Civic Highlands is connecting civic participation with environmental education and biodiversity conservation. Through guided hikes and environmental education activities in Târnava Mare, the project will involve more than 200 students from at least 10 schools, giving them the opportunity to discover and better understand the area’s natural heritage. Complementing these activities, a citizen science educational programme for biodiversity monitoring will be developed. A group of 25 students will participate in two training sessions and develop practical monitoring skills, subsequently contributing to the collection of biodiversity data. In this way, the project encourages young people to become not only beneficiaries of educational activities but also active participants in observing, understanding, and protecting nature.
• Media Education and the “Civic Highlands” Resource Centre: The project also places particular emphasis on media education and access to reliable information. A total of 5 tools and resources will be developed and used to help prevent and counter disinformation and fake news and to promote greater media responsibility. At the same time, the “Civic Highlands” Resource Centre will be developed and regularly updated, providing access to project resources, materials, and results. The Centre will include at least 10 published materials, helping ensure that the knowledge and results developed through the project remain accessible.

KEY RESULTS

Civic Highlands will contribute to developing a stronger culture of participation in rural communities, providing young people and other local stakeholders with more tools and opportunities to engage with the issues that affect them.

Main Results of Civic Highlands:

• Establishment of a functional Youth Parliament, involving at least 80 students;
• Implementation of 10 civic micro-projects, developed as initiatives addressing relevant challenges;
• Organisation of 10 consultations with local authorities and contribution to the improvement of 3 public measures;
• Mobilisation of 200 volunteers through project-supported activities;
• Engagement of more than 200 students from at least 10 schools in guided hikes and environmental education activities;
• Training of 25 students in citizen science for biodiversity monitoring;
• Development and use of 5 media education tools/resources;
• Development of the “Civic Highlands” Resource Centre, accessible online;
• Implementation of 3 public communication campaigns aimed at informing, engaging, and mobilising communities.

Communication and dissemination: 3 public communication campaigns, an online project launch event, the Civic Highlands Gala, press releases, photo and video materials, and the “Civic Highlands” Resource Centre.