Click to Change: inspiring young people to become changemakers

From 26 August to 3 September 2025, the Erasmus+ youth exchange “Click to Change” (No. 2025-1-LV02-KA151-YOU-000298179) took place in Bernāti. Keep the Change implemented the project together with partner organisations from Poland, Slovakia and Spain. Over the course of the week, young people explored how small everyday choices and creative initiatives can become a starting point for change in their local communities and across Europe.

The project aimed to strengthen youth participation and civic responsibility by using art, movement and digital tools as platforms for expressing opinions. Step by step, participants moved from getting to know one another and building a team towards the public “Festival of Change”, where they presented original creative works and interpretations of social issues.

Creating trust and authentic connection

The first day focused on creating a safe, open and trusting environment. Through team-building activities, participants got to know one another and defined what “Click to Change” meant to them—recognising that change begins with one step, one click and one choice.

During a mask-making workshop, young people explored their “outer” and “inner” faces: what we show the world and what we often keep to ourselves. This creative approach opened conversations about authenticity, empathy and emotional safety. Through theatre scenes, participants then explored formal, non-formal and informal learning and discovered why non-formal education is at the heart of Erasmus+ youth projects. Together they created a shared canvas presenting their vision of a better, more inclusive community.

Participation and digital creativity

Working with the Ladder of Youth Participation, participants examined the path from manipulation and token presence to genuine shared decision-making and co-created responsibility. A digital arts laboratory introduced tools including Canva, artificial intelligence, podcast production, short-form video and social media content creation. Participants tested how digital tools can support conversations about climate change, mental health and youth engagement.

A movement session gave participants another way to express emotion and connection without words. Forum theatre and image theatre methods were used to explore the balance between freedom and responsibility, discrimination, youth voice and community participation. During a music and songwriting workshop, participants created songs and rhythms about youth engagement, inclusion and hope for a fairer, more humane society.

In the evening “Living Library”, participants shared real experiences of youth councils, democracy, participation in local government and online initiatives. These stories showed that young people are already important agents of change.

Festival of Change

The project culminated on 1 September at Nīca Youth Centre with the public arts and participation event “Festival of Change”. Local young people, families, teachers and community members watched theatre and movement performances, explored exhibitions of masks and posters, listened to songs created by participants and learned about Erasmus+ opportunities.

The event became a bridge between the international youth exchange and the local community, showing that art can be a powerful tool for discussing democracy, participation and shared responsibility.

In the closing days, participants reflected deeply on what they had learned about themselves, teamwork and participation in society. They also explored wider Erasmus+ opportunities and the Youthpass certificate as a tool for recognising and documenting learning. At the closing ceremony, young people shared what they were taking home: greater confidence to express their opinions, new motivation to join local initiatives, and new friendships and ideas for future cooperation.

For Keep the Change, this project was another reminder of how important it is to create environments where young people can safely experiment, make mistakes, learn and express themselves. Click to Change showed that combining art, movement, digital tools and non-formal education can inspire young people not only to dream about change, but to take real action.

The project was co-funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+: Youth in Action programme. The views expressed reflect only the authors’ opinions and do not represent the official position of the European Union or the Agency for International Programs for Youth. Project No. 2025-1-LV02-KA151-YOU-000298179.

Information prepared by Andra Štāle, director of Keep the Change.