in 2024 On April 27-28, the youth camp “Get to know your neighbor near you” was held. This camp is in Šiauliai. part of the youth initiatives project financed by the municipality. The goal of the camp is not only to have a great time, but also to encourage young people with less opportunities to participate in creative, familiarizing, team-building activities and classes so that the youth understand that although we are all different and have different opportunities, we can complement each other, spend meaningfully time and develop competences needed in life. The leaders of the camp groups became the students of Šiauliai Julius Janonis Gymnasium, who gathered the youth for active experimental activities. These young leaders created the program themselves, discussed what activities would encourage young people to act the most, considered what challenges young people face and looked for ways to properly analyze these issues during the camp. Through various creative and practical activities, lectures and discussions, the participants had the opportunity to strengthen self-confidence, teamwork, communication and cooperation, discussed stereotypes, the uniqueness of their person, self-confidence and others, and other issues relevant to young people, and developed resistance to negative environmental influences. We can safely say that the camp fulfilled all expectations, most of them promised to come to this kind of camp next year and invite even more young people to spend their time meaningfully.
Danutė Kratukienė,
teacher at Julius Janonis Gymnasium in Šiauliai,
chairperson of the Šiauliai branch of the Lithuanian Samaritan Community
