The National Network for Children (NNC) took part in the international seminar “From School Curricula to Youth Action for Global Justice”, held on 21–22 October 2026 in Seville, Spain. The event focused on the links between education, youth participation and concrete action to bring about change in communities.
The seminar was organised as part of the European project GET – It’s Global Education Time: From School Curricula to Youth Actions for Sustainable Development, co-funded by the European Union’s DEAR Programme. The Bulgarian project partner is the Alliance for Regional and Civil Initiatives (ARCI). The project brings together educational and civil society organisations from eight European countries to promote global citizenship education and young people’s active participation.
During the event, George Bogdanov, Executive Director of the National Network for Children, facilitated a practical seminar entitled “From Youth Voice to Public Change: Designing Advocacy Campaigns that Create Community Impact”.
Participants explored the Youth Advocacy Canvas — a practical tool that helps young people and the professionals working with them turn shared concerns into clear objectives, compelling messages and concrete advocacy actions.
Working in small groups, participants examined specific challenges, defined the changes they wanted to achieve and identified the people and institutions that could help make them happen. They developed messages, proposed actions and identified potential allies among schools, parents, youth organisations and local authorities.
Topics included opportunities for students to participate in school decision-making and ways for youth centres to reach young people who are not currently involved in their activities. Presenting their group work allowed participants to exchange experiences and discuss different approaches to similar challenges.
A central focus was how to ensure that young people’s participation translates into meaningful influence over decisions. This requires clear opportunities for them to raise concerns, propose solutions and receive feedback on the outcomes of their proposals.
The practical exercises also highlighted the distinction between raising public awareness and achieving concrete change. A successful advocacy campaign needs a clear ask, an understanding of who has the power to act on it and a way to assess whether its objective has been achieved.
The Youth Advocacy Canvas provided a shared framework that can be used in schools, youth organisations and local communities. The lively discussions and ideas developed during the seminar demonstrated the tool’s potential to support collaborative planning and the development of practical solutions.
The National Network for Children’s participation in the international seminar contributed to the exchange of approaches to child and youth participation and advocacy. At its heart was the conviction that children and young people should have opportunities to help shape the decisions that affect their lives and their communities.
Discover the Youth Advocacy Canvas, a practical tool for turning young people’s ideas into concrete advocacy actions and meaningful change in their communities. Download the Youth Advocacy Canvas
