Poraka Nova Launches Youth Exchange as Part of the European Citizenship Academy
2025
Poraka Nova Launches Youth Exchange as Part of the European Citizenship Academy
In June, Poraka Nova officially launched their youth activities with the Youth Exchange “EU&ME: Rethinking Europe Through Youth Power and Innovation,” held in Struga, Macedonia. This exchange is part of the European Citizenship Academy (ECA), a project uniting young people from across Europe to explore and strengthen European identity, values, and democratic participation.
Participants from Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Greece, and Macedonia spent the week engaging in intercultural dialogue, experiential workshops, outdoor activities, and social innovation. The exchange aims to empower young people as changemakers in their communities by exploring themes such as EU values, resilience, social inclusion, and leadership through innovation. This was the fifth of eight planned ECA exchanges, with upcoming activities scheduled in Greece, Spain, and Sweden this summer.
About the European Citizenship Academy (ECA)
The ECA is a partnership project involving eight youth organisations across Europe, designed to help young people understand the EU not just as an institution, but as a space of shared values, collective challenges, and opportunities for action. The project follows a methodology based on three interconnected pillars: know, understand, and act.
Know: Equip youth with foundational knowledge of EU history, values, and mechanisms.
Understand: Provide immersive learning experiences to help young people grasp the complexities of European realities, including those of their peers from other countries.
Act: Support youth in developing and implementing initiatives that promote EU awareness, inclusion, and democratic participation.
As part of the ECA project, a Learning Web App has been created. This platform offers a non-formal, hybrid, and gamified learning pathway, guiding young people to acquire knowledge about the European Union, embrace their citizenship, and become empowered European citizens. Young people are invited to register on the Web App to stay connected with the latest information.
The long-term goal of ECA is not only to educate but also to activate, aiming to inspire over 300 young people to become multipliers within their communities and contribute to shaping a more inclusive and democratic Europe. Last year, four exchanges were held in France, Italy, Portugal, and Poland. The remaining four exchanges in 2025 are scheduled to take place in Macedonia, Greece, Spain, and Sweden. All outcomes will feed into a final youth recommendation paper to be presented to European decision-makers.
