Youth Center Idrija

Youth Center Idrija is a community space and youth node in the town of Idrija, Slovenia that functions as a meeting place for young people and increasingly for the whole community of Idrija. The story of Youth Center Idrija dates back in 2008, when the need for a common youth space was articulated. After years of negotiations with the local authorities, 300 m2 of an old monastery came into use by local young people and youth organizations in 2012. Youth center Idrija was thus formed as an umbrella organization by 3 local NGO (Scouts' Association Rod srebrnih krtov Idrija, Association for youth development Idrija 2020 and Students' Association Idrija). Young volunteers renovated the spaces and furnished it with second-hand and DIY furniture, donated by inhabitants and businesses of Idrija. In 2015, additional 40 m2 were acquired to host youth-led makers’ and hackers’ space. In 2018, we took over another part of the building with the youth hostel, making it easier to host international activities in the town. There is 9 people employed by the youth center and the youth hostel currently, 4 of which work specifically in the program activities of the youth center. We represent the interests of young people in Idrija and try to connect active youth associations and other NGOs within the field and to support them in their own projects and we regularly cooperate with local schools and municipality. The values we follow are connection, knowledge, creativity, support and social responsibility. The main topics we are addressing lately are protecting environment, youth street work, local policies for young people, youth participation, local youth tourism, international mobility and active free time in the local community. We offer regular weekly courses (music, language, creativity etc.) and monthly events and workshops (creative, fun, educational – on education of teenagers for parents, events for young parents on their parent leave, parties, lectures about traveling etc.). One of our most recognizable projects is City Playground with which we bring big games, skate ramps, board games etc. in the town square or we travel with it to the neighboring villages, joining it with a local cinema. In 2021 we opened a library of things. We are active in E+ and ESE projects. There are some of the projects we would like to mention here: group volunteering project of renovation of the hostel, youth exchange on the topic of zero-waste, another one in connection with nature and inclusion that is organized by a group of young locals, youth exchanges in cooperation with a foreign organization in which cooperation, communication and initiative are promoted through challenges for the groups of youngsters.