The project brings together two groups of young people: experienced youth who serve as near-peer mentors, and younger participants who are taking their first steps in civic engagement. Through a structured program that includes civic education, project development, mentoring, internships, and hands-on initiative implementation, participants learn how to identify local problems, design realistic solutions, and work collaboratively in their communities. The project creates a supportive environment where young people can build confidence, strengthen their skills, and contribute to a more inclusive and participatory society.
Project Goals
The project is designed to strengthen youth participation in Moldova and support young people as they develop civic skills, take initiative, and collaborate across regional and social divides. Its goals reflect the core changes the program aims to achieve among the project cohort. It is focused on these two goals:
- The project cohort (multipliers and participants) is capacitated with relevant skills to take on active roles in civic life and democratic engagement.
- The project cohort (multipliers and participants) contributes to bridging societal divides through public dialogue, exchange, and shared learning.
Together, these goals guide all activities of the Changemakers Collective – from trainings and mentoring to local initiatives, internships, and public dialogue events – and ensure that young people are equipped to continue their engagement beyond the project period.
Target Group(s)
The project works with two main target groups: 10 multipliers aged 18-23, who are alumni of previous CRISP and Diversity programs and ready to take on stronger roles in mentoring and civic activism, and 30 participants aged 14-17, emerging youth leaders from diverse and often underserved regions of Moldova. The cohort intentionally includes structurally marginalized young people – girls and young women, rural youth, Roma youth, LGBTQIA+ youth, displaced Ukrainian refugees, and youth from Gagauzia and Transnistria – to ensure meaningful inclusion and equal access to civic learning.
Additionally, local trainers, civil society actors, and community members are engaged through internships, public exhibitions, and youth-led initiatives.
Plammed Outcomes/Achievements
Through the project, mixed teams of multipliers and younger participants design and implement local youth-led initiatives, addressing issues relevant to their communities. Multipliers complete internships with local civil society organizations, gaining practical experience and contributing to ongoing social projects. The program also includes public exhibitions and dialogue events across several regions, giving visibility to youth initiatives and creating spaces for community exchange and understanding. In addition, selected participants take part in a study visit to Berlin, where they will meet local NGOs, activists, and community projects to broaden their perspectives and bring new ideas back to Moldova.
Overall, participants strengthen skills in problem analysis, planning, teamwork, and civic engagement, while communities benefit from visible youth-led action and new connections between local actors, NGOs, and young people.
