Location: Municipality of Durrës, Albania
Launched: 1 September 2018
Target Group: Motivated secondary school students (ensuring gender balance)

About the Project

Involving Students in Local Infrastructure Policies is a community-driven initiative designed to empower secondary school students to participate directly in local decision-making. The project bridges the gap between civic education and real-life governance by engaging students in analysing infrastructure needs, proposing policy solutions, and collaborating with municipal officials.

Objectives

• Empower youth to become active contributors to local governance and civic life.
• Promote inclusive participation by ensuring gender balance and equal access for all students.
• Build capacity through training on participatory budgeting, problem analysis, and collaborative policymaking.
• Foster transparency and trust between schools, communities, and local government institutions.

Key Activities

The project unfolded in four phases:

1. Planning & Mobilization: Open calls for trainers and experts; coordination meetings with the Municipality of Durrës and local schools.
2. Student Selection & Orientation: Schools nominated balanced student groups; participants joined civic engagement workshops and teamwork sessions.
3. Capacity Building: Development of a participatory budgeting manual and delivery of hands-on training.
4. Implementation: Students co-designed and presented realistic infrastructure proposals to municipal leaders, linking classroom learning with policymaking practice.

Results & Impact

• Over 100 students gained direct experience in local governance.
• A participatory budgeting manual and training toolkit were produced—now replicable in other municipalities.
• Strengthened school–municipality cooperation and established a framework for youth-led civic engagement.
• Created a new generation of informed and confident young citizens with a sense of agency in their communities.

Why It Matters

This initiative demonstrates how education and democratic practice can merge to create tangible community impact. By engaging young citizens in local policymaking, it contributes to:

• More responsive and inclusive infrastructure planning.
• Stronger civic culture and accountability at the local level.
• A lasting investment in Albania’s social and democratic capital.