If we define “active citizenship” strictly by traditional participation forms like joining a political party or attending local council meetings, young Europeans look relatively disengaged. However, modern data shows that young Europeans (ages 16 to 29) are highly active—they have simply pivoted away from formal institutions toward digital advocacy, issue-specific activism, and conscious consumerism. Data shows that young Europeans prefer alternative participation forms and use their digital skills and volunteer hours to target specific crises like climate change or economic inequality directly, rather than waiting for slow-moving legislative bodies to act.
The project EU Advocators: Words in Action is a youth exchange that will introduce young people to active citizenship by engaging them with various forms of content creation. The storytelling method will be the cornerstone of the project. During the project, participants will voice their opinions and creative perspectives concerning various youth-related topics (in line with the European Youth Strategy and the 11 European Youth Goals) through photography, videomaking, and podcasting.
During the YE, the participants will engage in intercultural dialogue and a variety of non-formal activities that combine creativity with civic engagement, ensuring that young people become advocators for a sustainable and inclusive democratic society. The project will use storytelling in various formats to raise awareness of the opinions of youth and of the European Union’s importance in supporting and empowering young people.
The specific objectives of the project are:
- To raise awareness of the core issues that concern young Europeans (e.g. mental health, information overload, work-life balance, sustainability)
- To acquire storytelling skills as a tool to engage and voice the perspectives of young EU citizens
- To acquire new knowledge about storytelling in different audiovisual formats (photography, videomaking, and podcasting)
- To highlight the importance of the European Union in supporting youth’s perspectives and young people’s personal and professional development
- To raise awareness of the European Youth Strategy (2019-2027) and its corresponding 11 EYGs
Venue: Varna, Bulgaria
Dates: 20-26 September 2026 (including travel dates)
Participating countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
The info-pack is available here.
Application for Bulgarian participants is open until 5 September. Apply by completing this form.
The project is funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ program.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.