In 2024, the Lithuanian Samaritan Society, together with the Young Samaritan organizations, implemented the Šiauliai City Municipality Youth Initiatives Project “Know Your Neighbor Near You”. This project was aimed at adolescents and young people, with special attention paid to those who have fewer opportunities or are less motivated to engage in extracurricular and community activities.
During the project implementation, a camp was organized, which attracted great interest, and the number of participants was impressive: a total of 116 young people participated. The Young Samaritans actively contributed to the organization of the camp and invited their peers, especially those who experience social exclusion. The camp’s activity program was adapted to the needs and interests of the young people. During the camp, a friendly and supportive environment was created, in which the young people felt accepted and valued. The participants gained more confidence in themselves and their abilities, learned to communicate and cooperate better with others, and understood cultural, social, and personality differences and similarities.
The project organized engaging lectures aimed at developing various competences of the participants. In creative workshops, young people could express their creativity through art classes, theater classes and creative writing lessons. In social-emotional training, emotional intelligence skills were developed, young people learned to recognize and manage their emotions, avoid stereotypical attitudes, recognize their uniqueness and uniqueness, develop empathy and strengthen self-confidence and trust in others.
The project also helped reduce social exclusion, fostered community connections and integration. The methodological materials collected will be used further to develop youth competencies and organize trainings and seminars for teachers and youth leaders.
This project was a big step towards developing young people’s competences in informal settings and promoting their active participation in community life. The success and continuity of the project shows that we can achieve even more if we constantly look for different ways and forms of educating young people. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this project!
DANUTĖ KRATUKIENĖ,
Chairwoman of the Šiauliai branch of the Lithuanian Samaritan Society
