Autumn is a time for celebrating Interreg Cooperation Day across the European Union. We strive to involve young people in these celebrations, as they will soon be building the future of the European community themselves. That is why, for the ninth time, we invited representatives of schools from Poland and Ukraine to the Finale of the Youth Education Campaign. This time, it took place in Lublin from 24th to 27th September under the slogan “Culturally about nature.”
The finalists were selected from among the teams that, in the spring, submitted preliminary entries related to the campaign theme. The competition task involved preparing a script for a short play about the support provided by the Programme and the entire EU for nature, particularly its protection, resource efficiency, renewable energy sources, waste sorting and recycling, and ecology in the broad sense.
Representatives from 12 schools in Poland and Ukraine qualified for the Finale. During their four-day stay in Lublin, the young people took part in theatre workshops, working together in mixed Polish-Ukrainian teams. This not only allowed them to improve their skills in various fields, but also to learn about cooperation and the language of their neighbours. These activities resulted in very interesting joint performances. The students also took part in a themed field game.
An important part of the event was a tour of Lublin, which will become the European Capital of Culture in 2029. The participants visited the Old Town and the Lublin Village Museum, learning about the results of previously completed projects. They also visited the Regional Headquarters of the State Fire Service, where they learned, among other things, about the results of the ClimSafe project. At the end, all participants in the Finale received prize sets and commemorative diplomas. Many of them declared that they would definitely take part in future editions.
The educational campaign of our Programme aimed at students already has a long tradition. Previous finals have been held in Grodno, Lviv, Rzeszów, Mazovia, Podlasie and the Bieszczady Mountains, always in connection with European Cooperation Day, which is celebrated on 21st September by decision of the European Parliament. This year’s edition had a special significance, as we also celebrated the 35th anniversary of Interreg – a group of European programmes that primarily support cross-border projects.
We would like to thank all participants of the campaign for their commitment, congratulate and thank the finalists! See you in the next campaign, which will start in just a few months!
Below are short videos from theatrical performances prepared by students.
