Speak It Up: Youth Public Speaking Skills Development Towards a Democratic Society in Contemporary Europe

"<< Background >>We applied for this project to address the critical gap in young people's public speaking skills, which are essential for active participation in democratic processes. Despite growing interest among youth in politics and society, many are still disconnected from traditional democratic structures. This is primarily due to a lack of confidence and communication skills, which are necessary to effectively engage in public debate and decision-making.Our needs assessment showed that youth in all partner countries face challenges in developing these skills, and there are very few educational models or training tools available for youth workers to support them in this area. Both young people and youth workers identified the need for improved educational tools to help develop public speaking skills, which would, in turn, foster greater youth involvement in democratic processes and civic activities. This project fills this gap by creating an innovative, non-formal educational package, including a curriculum, e-handbook, app, and interactive board game. These tools equip youth trainers and youth workers with the necessary tools to foster effective democratic engagement among youth and contribute to building moreinclusive European societies<< Objectives >>The ""Speak It Up"" project aimed to: - Create an innovative non-formal educational package for youth trainers and youth workers to assist young people in developing and/or improving their life skills related to public speaking.-Create an interactive app and a fun learning game to supplement training, capturing the youths' interest in their learning process.-Support the processes that trainers/educators and youth workers use to motivate young people to participate in democratic structures and institutions through practical activities.The project focused on developing an informal educational package for youth trainers and workers, enhancing public speaking skills in young people (18–30 years old) with a focus on communication, interpersonal skills, and presentation techniques. It addressed key priorities such as promoting common values, civic engagement, active citizenship, and youth entrepreneurship. While many young people are motivated to engage in politics and society, they often feel disconnected from democratic structures. This project empowered youth to participate more actively in democratic processes and community decision-making, helping them express their voices and engage in the democratic societies of tomorrow's EU<< Implementation >>The activities of the Speak It Up! project were structured and implemented through the following work packages (WPs):WP1 – Project Management and Implementation: Focused on coordinating and overseeing project activities, ensuring alignment with objectives and timelines through regular meetings and financial management.WP2 – Speak It Up! Educational Framework/Research-based Curriculum & Trainers’ e-Handbook: Developed a comprehensive educational framework and curriculum aimed at enhancing public speaking skills, along with a Trainers’ e-Handbook for youth educators.WP3 – Speak It Up! Application: Created a digital application to provide interactive learning experiences and resources for young people to improve their public speaking abilities.WP4 – Speak It Up! Game Board: Designed an engaging game board to promote teamwork and creativity while reinforcing public speaking skills.WP5 – Speak It Up! Communication and Dissemination: Focused on promoting project outcomes through communication strategies, events, and stakeholder engagement to raise awareness and maximize impact.<< Results >>The ""Speak It Up"" project produced the following concrete results:CR1: SpeakUp! Educational Framework/research-based curriculum.CR2: Developed and tested e-Handbook with training content to improve public speaking for youth participation.CR3: SpeakApp: A developed and tested app for learning and assessment of public speaking skills.CR4: SpeakUp! Board Game for engaging youth in public speaking practice.CR5: Conducted a ""Train the Trainer"" session with 16 youth workers and trainers from partner countries.CR6: Trained 40 young participants using the SpeakApp and Board Game.CR7: Organized 8 multiplier events, promoting public speaking and active citizenship.The innovative educational materials and tools reached local youth organizations, youth workers, policymakers, and others supporting youth, enhancing curricula and policies to promote youth inclusion in the democratic process and active citizenship by developing public speaking skills. Thus, other results:Increased youth engagement in democratic processes.Strengthened capacity for trainers to use innovative teaching methods.Raised awareness about the importance of public speaking for democratic participation.Ensured sustainability."