Initiators: Oksana Zazulyak, Head of Department of Economic Development, Investment and Public Procurement, and Andriy Kuritsa, active parishioner of UGCC, student

Where: Velikoberezovytska hromada, Ternopil region

Result: The Youth Council functions not only as a local self-government body, but also as a mechanism for the development of democratic processes (participates in the local budget in projects for improvement, improvement of living conditions and unity of residents) and quality leisure (mass events, evenings of board games, singing)

Details of cooperation: In the process of working with this community of Ternopil region, its name and population of settlements changed. For this reason, our participants even overfulfilled the plan: first they created the Youth Council of the Nastasov community, and a month later — Velikoberezovytska. The second received many more villages and townships under its care, so the Community Youth Council became the catalyst for many local changes.

Our participation consisted in developing the very concept of the Council and its strategy, bringing together participants and inspiring them to more global projects.

The experience of the work and volunteering of the Youth Council has shown that often its participants can be not only schoolchildren and students, but also older youth, up to 35 years of age, who can strengthen and support the Council if necessary. Despite the age difference and different employment, training or work, the members of the Youth Council can continue to work together, create joint projects and develop their own community. We believe that it is for this purpose that Youth Councils can be a refuge and hub of development for young people who will later find their own professional vocation and leave time for inspired service to their community and leisure.