Base de données des projets PDR

This innovative Leader project from Slovenia set up a network of new learning facilities in rural areas to help improve young people's understanding of, and interest in, rural lifestyles - so as to help counter risks of youth depopulation.

Depopulation is a major challenge for rural Europe. Finding new ways to encourage young people to appreciate the benefits of rural living can help to counter the pressures that drive out-migration. Against this background a group of rural organisations based around the Lasko area of Slovenia joined forces to develop a RDP project which could improve young people's understanding of, and interest in rural lifestyles. Project partners included youth groups, schools, forestry and tourism authorities

Goals involved building a collaborative approach between partners to increase rural areas' attractiveness for young people as a place where they could live, work and visit. It aimed to identify a network of rural businesses and organisation that could host and teach groups of young people (using techniques tailored to young peoples’ interests and needs) about rural develpment topics such as the relationship between agriculture, nature and food.

Works analysed the curricula of kindergardens and schools to identify the suitability of different topics that would be included in the training programme. A network of host business were identified which could provide different types of farm, forest and other rural heritage services. Development plans were drawn up for these host organisations to help them prepare for their new service functions. A flexible ‘training of trainers’ scheme was prepared covering different youth target groups' needs

38 locations, hosted by 30 providers, have now been networked by the project which undertook 60 different training sessions to ensure all stakeholders knew how to provide the required services for young adults, school pupils and kindergarten children. A catalogue of all the different locations and their respective youth information/recreation services has been produced and widely disseminated via all media (press, TV radio). Results are being monitored to identify the project's success factors

This project’s multi-faceted approach to tackling rural depopulation challenges shows how LEADER provides a useful tool for testing innovative approaches to addressing rural development challenges (such as demographic change in the countryside caused by youth out-migration). Cooperation , preparation, piloting, marketing and monitoring are all also highly effective tools for this type of rural development project.

Project was started by the LAG Društvo Raznolikost podeželja and involved other regions in Slovenia

Savinjska

Slovenia

35 189

7 536

7 535

5 046

15 072

https://www.raznolikost-podezelja.si/

Mojca Krivec

mojca.krivec@ce.kgzs.si

+386 034907586

Slovene