CHARYSMA: Cultural Heritage & Arts for Rural Youth Socializing through digital Media & Archeology

<< Background >>We applied for CHARYSMA because we noticed that many young people growing up in rural municipalities in Austria and Slovenia have fewer opportunities to connect with Europe, to learn digital skills, or to actively shape cultural life in their communities. In small villages, cultural heritage is often present everywhere — in old farmhouses, archaeological sites, local traditions — but young people rarely have the chance to explore it in a way that feels relevant to them. Many had never worked with digital media to reinterpret heritage, never joined an international youth activity, and often felt that “Europe is far away” from their daily lives.At the same time, local authorities and youth organisations told us that they lacked concrete methods to involve young people in cultural decision-making or to make heritage attractive for a younger generation. CHARYSMA was designed to close this gap. Through workshops, digital media, archaeology-based activities and youth camps, we wanted to give rural youth new spaces to participate, experiment and take ownership. The project addressed the need for inclusion, visibility and skills — helping young people discover that their heritage has European value, and that their voice is important.<< Objectives >>With CHARYSMA, we aimed to empower young people in rural areas of Austria and Slovenia to actively engage with cultural heritage and to develop skills that would support them in shaping their futures. Our goal was to transform cultural heritage from something young people simply inherit into something they can co-create. We wanted to give them the tools, confidence and spaces to work digitally, think creatively and participate more strongly in European programmes and decision-making processes.At the same time, the project aimed to strengthen cooperation between youth organisations, municipalities and cultural institutions by offering a practical model for cross-border youth participation. Through workshops, digital heritage work, archaeological field activities and two international CHARYSMA camps, we set out to foster European identity, curiosity, critical thinking and intercultural understanding among young people.Ultimately, we wanted young participants not only to learn about their cultural roots, but also to experience that their voices matter — locally, nationally and within Europe.<< Implementation >>Throughout CHARYSMA we implemented a mix of digital and on-site activities to engage young people with cultural heritage and strengthen youth participation. At the start, we set up a clear project structure with youth representatives and project managers, created a Project Management Handbook and a Partnership Agreement, and used shared cloud tools. We held around 20 online meetings as well as a kick-off, a mid-term evaluation and a final evaluation meeting. Continuous impact monitoring helped us adapt activities and integrate youth feedback.The core activities were 12 online workshops via Google Classroom on digital skills, archaeology, EU Youth Goals, Erasmus+ opportunities, intercultural understanding and youth leadership. In addition, we organised two 14-day CHARYSMA Youth Camps, combining hands-on archaeological work, digital creativity, teamwork and intercultural exchange. Participants received YouthPass certificates and contributed to the documentation.The project concluded with a final conference in Gornja Radgona, where results and future perspectives were presented. A radio interview on Radio AGORA helped share the project outcomes and next steps with a broader public.<< Results >>CHARYSMA produced 2 main publications that capture the educational impact and youth-participation methods of the project. The first output, “Success Factors for Youth Participation in Cultural Affairs in the Context of Achieving EU Youth Goals” (50 pages, DE/EN/SI), compiles findings from workshops, interviews, evaluations and youth consultations. It offers practical guidelines for involving young people in cultural projects, including methods for decision-making, digital collaboration, and cross-border participation. The document serves as a transferable tool for municipalities, schools, youth workers and cultural institutions.The second publication, “The Social & Educational European Value of Cultural Heritage for Achieving EU Youth Goals”(42 pages, DE/EN/SI), presents the pedagogical concept behind the workshops and youth camps. It includes case studies, field experiences, archaeological learning activities and digital heritage work, demonstrating how cultural heritage strengthens identity, creativity, European awareness and digital competences. It also provides replicable activity modules for educators and organisations. Alongside, 12 online workshops, two 14-day youth camps & final conference were implemented successfully.