Youth experience, participation, and initiative in education and civic processes
Eva Valtere is an 8th-grade student at Jelgava Secondary School No. 4, yet her daily life extends far beyond the classroom. Volunteering, youth projects, and participation in civic processes have become an integral part of her everyday life. Eva is the Chair of the Jelgava Municipality Youth Council and a volunteer at the Ozolnieki Youth Initiative Centre. Together with activists from other youth centres, she writes project applications through which young people learn to express their opinions and understand that their voices can influence what is happening already today.
Eva is also one of the young people who has shared her perspective on youth engagement and the role of young people in decision-making as part of a study conducted by the OECD Centre for Education Research and Innovation (CERI). Despite this active and eventful routine, Eva herself emphasises that it all did not begin with a conscious decision “to get involved”.
The First Step into Participation
Eva’s first step towards participation was simple and happened almost by chance. She recalls attending her first event together with her sister – a Youth Evening held at the social enterprise event venue Branku Brančotava. At that time, Eva was still very young and had no clear understanding of what youth events were or why one should take part in them. It was simply a meeting – young people spending time together in an informal environment, playing games and talking about topics important to them.
Yet it was precisely this warm and safe atmosphere that left a lasting impression – the feeling that here you can be yourself, get to know others, and experience a sense of belonging.
Volunteering as a Meaningful Experience
Later on, Eva’s first volunteering experience at the Ozolnieki Youth Initiative Centre, as she describes it herself, did not seem anything special at first glance. It was an ordinary youth gathering where everyday tasks needed for the centre’s activities were carried out together. Eva recalls:
“They were looking for someone to glue board game boxes together. I know that to some people this might sound like a terrible start to volunteering, but I really liked it. Maybe not only the task itself, but the people. You realise that everyone is so kind and open. And then you want to do more.”
From this very first experience, volunteering for Eva became associated with the opportunity to help, to be involved, and to do something meaningful for the benefit of young people.
Recognition and Growth
Over time, this first step developed into active and long-term participation. In 2024, Eva received the award Volunteer of the Year 2024 for her involvement – recognition for more than 350 hours of voluntary work in Jelgava Municipality – as well as the title Volunteer of the Year in Jelgava. For Eva, this recognition was not only an honour, but also confirmation that the time, energy, and heartfelt effort she invested were noticed and appreciated.
From Participation to Creating Opportunities for Others
As her involvement deepened, Eva gradually moved towards organising events and festivals for young people. By writing project applications herself – where imagination has no strict limits – she has been able to gradually realise her dream events aimed at fostering youth participation.
With the support of Erasmus+, the youth participation festival “Me. You. Us. Youth.” took shape during the project-writing process. This event has become particularly meaningful for Eva herself. She explains that the festival is designed as a space where young people can spend the entire day meeting different organisations, taking part in discussions, activities, and conversations – but most importantly, understanding that participation is not an abstract concept.
“You see that people come, that they enjoy it, that they get involved,” Eva says.
She vividly remembers the moment after the festival when young people shared that they had already applied to organisations and started getting involved themselves.
“That’s when you realise – it’s not just an event. It’s a place where young people see that their voice matters and that something depends on them as well.”
The festival will continue this year as well, and Eva is once again involved in its organisation with the same enthusiasm.
Experience That Matters for the Future
Eva acknowledges that all this participation also has a very practical value, the full benefits of which will be appreciated later on. Everything a young person does – involvement in projects, event organisation, volunteering – accumulates as real experience that can be included in one’s CV.
The Role of School and Supportive Adults
School and the attitude of teachers have also played an important role in Eva’s journey. She says:
“I’ve been very lucky with my school. If there are events or projects, teachers are understanding and help me combine studies with other activities.”
A supportive environment has given her the confidence to get involved and to speak up – to ask questions, share experiences, and address issues that matter to young people. Eva emphasises that participation is impossible without dialogue:
“If there is a problem, it has to be talked about. There are so many things adults cannot even imagine because young people stay silent. Communication is the key!”
Looking Ahead
Eva describes her future goals simply – to stay engaged and not remain on the sidelines. She believes it is important for young people to allow themselves to try, even when the outcome is unclear. It is precisely from such attempts that genuine interest and conviction most often emerge. Eva shares:
“My goal in life is to try as much as possible. We only live once. It’s important to try new things, meet new people, gain new experiences and emotions. And if you’re afraid to go alone, don’t stay at home – take a friend and go together!”
Research Perspective
The experience shared by Eva aligns with findings from OECD research, which indicate that higher levels of social openness and openness to experience are associated with greater involvement of young people and young adults in volunteering. This link between openness to experience and participation in volunteering is particularly strong among youth in Latvia – among all OECD countries, this association is the strongest in Latvia.
In exploring youth engagement and their role in decision-making, the OECD Centre for Education Research and Innovation (CERI) has also listened to Eva’s story. New perspectives on child and youth development are one of CERI’s key areas of work. Youth civic knowledge is also being studied through participation in the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2027. Latvia’s participation in the CERI programme and in ICCS 2027 is ensured through the project “Participation in International Education Studies”. Participation in international education studies is one of the measures implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science with the support of European Union funds, aimed at building a sustainable and effective education system and resource management.
This story was created with the support of EU funds.
