Laboratory process

Community meeting #1

On April 26, 2024, the first community meeting took place within the LINK laboratory.

Read about the event on the social networks of the Zemgale Planning Region.

You can find the full event gallery here!

What were the goals of the community meeting?

Turn the cards over to get to know them!

What are the conclusions of community meeting #1?

We need to listen more to the voices of young people

When applying to participate in the community meeting, young people were invited to indicate their current needs in a free form in a Google form. The answers provided by the young people were recorded and used in group work, inviting them to vote on what they thought was the most important of them. The results of these mini-surveys were then used in discussions.

As you can see, for young people It is very important, to have their opinions heard and taken into account, and receive emotional support . Only then does the need for creative classes, courses, training, leisure activities follow... So, for young people, the primary thing is to be heard, not to receive new services.

How can we make young people's voices heard? How can organizations work together to include young people's opinions in their work?
Think about it and write in the comments section!

Co-creation and synergy are key

During the discussions, we concluded that cooperation between organizations and between organizations and young people is promoted by the same keywords - getting to know each other, meeting, talking, being in an informal environment . We invite you to continue to visit colleagues you have met in the community or invite them to your place to talk informally!

Organizations should go to young people, not wait for them to come to them

• How to reach young people? For example, you need to go to schools - cooperate with school management, organize events for young people, put up informative posters. Young people spend a large part of their time in schools. It is an environment where various problems become visible, as well as an environment where peers can be a resource.
• Young people mainly look for information about various opportunities on social networks, chats, and also on the school website. If we want the service to be accessible and interesting to young people, the information about it must be easily accessible and young people-friendly, also online.
• Often, useful information is also provided by a school psychologist, friends, family, or another trusted person, so it is worth strengthening and supporting adults and "good" young people who serve as a community resource - to see, meet, and address those who need support.

In addition, simple and transparent information about various services available to young people in the city and region of Jelgava is needed. It is useful both for specialists to develop potential cooperation opportunities, and for young people to know where to go for support. For this reason, the LINK platform includes "profiles" of organizations developed during the laboratory, which will be supplemented with more detailed contact information over time. We invite you to get acquainted with them!

Below we invite you to watch the video, where you will see how we did at community meeting #1!

Next steps

Taking into account the needs and observations of the community meeting participants, the next community meeting in the second half of August this year will be dedicated to promoting cooperation with educational institutions. Together, we will look for ways to better support schools, which are the first to face any difficulties in the life of a young person. Stay tuned for the latest information!