Support young people to prevent drug abuse through education, inclusion and participation, giving them a voice and tools to build a healthier and more informed future.
Context
The Choose-life project addresses youth drug abuse in Europe with a preventive approach based on participation, education, and inclusion. Targeting vulnerable young people aged 14-18, it aims to strengthen their psychosocial well-being and provide healthy alternatives, while training youth workers and engaging policymakers to make policies more inclusive.
Through prevention pathways, non-formal education, dialogues with institutions, and an awareness campaign, the project seeks to create a tangible impact in six European countries, promoting youth empowerment and increasing awareness of the risks associated with addiction.
Objectives
- Strengthen the role of youth workers and the community by providing tools to prevent risky behaviors and promote positive youth engagement.
- Promote and enhance soft skills, transversal competencies, psychosocial well-being, and decision-making capacity regarding health.
- Value social spaces for young people outside formal institutions, creating contexts for learning and personal growth.
- Promote the active participation of young people in the development of more inclusive youth policies, fostering dialogue between them and policymakers.
Activities
- Identification of youth perspectives on psychosocial well-being in 7 European countries (Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Belgium, Serbia, Poland) through comparative research, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
- Development of training materials aimed at equipping youth workers from grassroots organizations, social workers, and non-formal educators with the necessary skills to engage in drug prevention initiatives, followed by capacity building.
- Development of a drug use (and abuse) prevention program to support young people at risk of social exclusion through non-formal learning and recreational activities, implemented with a group of young people.
- Creation of a local network in each partner country to engage with local governments and EU institutions, contributing to youth social welfare policies.
- Implementation of a social media campaign in all partner countries to raise awareness among youth on prevention and psychosocial well-being.Resources.
Results
- Choose-life Curriculum – Drug prevention program for young people.
- Cool-fun Toolkit – Catalog of healthy recreational activities for young people.
- Choose-life Manual for Youth Workers.
- Youth Camp Promotional Video.
- Youth-Choose Council Manifesto.
- Vlogs – Online storytelling featuring experiences and insights from the Youth-Choose Council and participants of the Choose-life program.
Impact
- Improved youth competencies and drug abuse prevention, with increased awareness of drug use through the promotion of lasting psychosocial well-being via educational and recreational activities.
- Strengthened competencies among youth workers, educators, and social workers to address drug-related issues, enhancing their ability to support young people.
- Increased awareness within the educational community about the risks of drug use, reinforcing the skills needed to guide young people during their transition to adulthood.
- Greater interest among the youth population in political and decision-making processes.
Partners
- CESIE ETS (Italy, coordinator)
- Association Rightchallenge (Portugal)
- Centre For Advancement Of Research And Development In Educational Technology Ltd – Cardet (Cyprus)
- Kmop – Education And Innovation Hub – Social Policy Academy (Greece)
- Libera Palermo Associazione (Italy)
- Out Of The Box International (Belgium)
- Webin – Western Balkans Institute Udruzenje (Serbia)
- Zhp Chorągiew Gdańsk (Poland)
