National EUphoria event held in Zakarpattia: from youth experience to new youth work practices
In September 2026 , Carpathian Agency of Human Rights "Vested" held a national presentation event in Zakarpattia as part of the international project EUphoria: Intercultural Dialogue and EU Civic Values for Ukrainian Youths, implemented under the Erasmus+ programme.
The event was a continuation of a series of EUphoria civic workshops held in Ukraine during the first half of 2026 . While previous meetings were primarily a space for direct youth learning, this time the focus was on reflecting on the experience gained, presenting results, and building dialogue among young people, youth workers, and other professionals working with youth.
From local workshops to a shared European experience
As part of the Ukrainian component of EUphoria, young people explored active citizenship, civic and social competences, cultural diversity and intercultural communication, personal and interpersonal skills, environmental protection, and opportunities for using modern digital tools.
This was part of a much broader European programme. During the national event, the Vested team presented the final EUphoria press release and infographic featuring the results of the project's first major practical stage.
In total, partners in Ukraine, Romania, France, and Cyprus held 26 civic workshops, which brought together 299 participants. The work covered European values, democracy and human rights, active citizenship, intercultural dialogue, social inclusion, environmental responsibility, and personal competence development.
However, the national meeting was not just a presentation of figures and results.
What changes when young people get the opportunity to speak up
A significant part of the event was devoted to exchanging views on how civic education can move from theoretical concepts to everyday practice.
Participants discussed real mechanisms for youth influence on community life: e-petitions, public hearings, student self-government, participatory budgeting, youth initiatives, and opportunities for cooperation with local government authorities.
The quality of dialogue itself was a separate topic. How to communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds? How to avoid stereotypes? How to create an environment where young people feel safe to express their views? What needs to change so that young people are not just invited to events, but their opinions are truly heard?
These questions are directly linked to the experience of previous EUphoria workshops.
In post-training questionnaires, young people noted the practical value of topics such as student self-government, e-petitions, and public hearings, suggested creating opportunities for youth participatory budgeting, and spoke about the need for more direct dialogue between youth, educational institutions, and local authorities.
Civic competences are not just about politics
The discussion also revealed a broader understanding of civic participation.
Participants linked it to the ability to work in a team, resolve conflicts, listen to others, understand one's own emotional state, set personal boundaries, and act responsibly in the community.
Intercultural competences proved to be equally important. The experience of the Ukrainian workshops demonstrated young people's interest in how cultural differences affect communication, how to interact with representatives of different ethnic and cultural groups, and how to maintain respect for diversity not only at a declarative level, but in daily communication.
The environmental module of the project also provided material for discussion. Young people talked about waste sorting, responsible behaviour, local environmental initiatives, and the complex impact of digital technologies and artificial intelligence on humans and the environment.
What the feedback showed
A comparison of baseline and final questionnaires from Ukrainian participants shows an overall positive trend. In many post-workshop responses, participants rated their understanding of the relevant topic higher, expressed greater confidence in practical application of knowledge, and reported a higher readiness for active participation.
At the same time, the feedback helped highlight what young people are lacking.
Suggestions consistently included requests for more practical exercises, real-life case studies, more working time, a broader audience, and the continuation of similar meetings.
This component is particularly important for EUphoria. The project aims not only to convey a set of knowledge to young people, but also to ensure that youth workers and organisations listen to their experiences and adapt their working methods accordingly.
From listener to participant in change
The national event provided an opportunity to look at the results of previous months from a different perspective.
Young people in this process are not merely recipients of educational services. Their experience, feedback, critical comments, and suggestions become part of the project's further development.
For youth workers, this is an opportunity to better understand which participation formats truly work, what motivates young people to be active, and what barriers still remain between youth and decision-making processes.
EUphoria continues its work. The next major stage will be the EUphoria digital civic game, which will use the experience and learning outcomes accumulated during the workshops to make civic education accessible to a significantly broader audience.
The EUphoria project is implemented by a partnership of organizations from Romania, Ukraine, Cyprus, France, and Italy.
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 Educationand Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neitherthe European Unionnor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project Number: 2025-1-RO01-KA220-YOU-000353151