On Saturday 17th of December, amid winter celebrations, we had our kick-off meeting with the Placemaking for Inclusion (PM4I) youth ambassadors. These selected groups of young motivated people will cooperate with CGE and the international consortium of Placemaking for Inclusion project on diverse activities for a one-year period. Thus, the first encounter was crucial to set the working mood for the next period as well as getting to know each other’s motivations and expectations from the program.
The session started with energizers and icebreaker activities, where online participants were included in the funniest and most creative ways (who said you couldn’t throw a ball to a screen?). This introduction was followed by a description of the Ambassadors Program, with details on the timeline of the process and its crucial importance in reaching the objectives and goals of the long-term project Placemaking for Inclusion. Moreover, participants were presented with the mentorship system that will support them in their creation of placemaking projects on the local level.
Along with some hot tea, chocolates, and ginger cookies, the environment was filled with enthusiasm. Hands into it, participants used collages, paintings, and Lego pieces as well as Canva and Jamboard, to present their motivations and ideas for local projects to foster inclusion in urban spaces. This was accompanied by a round of fears and contributions so that everyone had the opportunity to clear doubts or anxieties.
The day ended with some pizza, informal conversations, and Christmas songs. Overall, the kick-off meeting was successful for ambassadors to become closer as a group. And this is what the festive season is all about – connections and getting together around the values of inclusion and solidarity.
Carla Molteni, our ESC volunteer supporting the Placemaking 4 Inclusion project, was also there and talked about the European Solidarity Corps program to the Ambassadors and the possibility of developing a Solidarity Project for their actions.
🇪🇺 The Placemaking for Inclusion (PM4I) project is co-funded by the European Union.
