The Belgrade Open School (BOŠ), in cooperation with UNICEF Serbia, implemented a project aimed at empowering young people in ten selected local communities to actively participate in the development of air quality and water management policies, as well as at strengthening dialogue between young people and local decision-makers.

The objective of the project was to strengthen the role of young people in decision-making processes related to environmental protection and to create conditions for their more active participation in decision-making processes.

The overall objective of the project was to contribute to the development of participatory environmental protection policies at the local level in the Republic of Serbia.

The specific objective of the project was to empower youth leaders to actively participate in policy development in the areas of air quality and water management.

The project focused on increasing youth participation in decision-making processes and ensuring that young people's views and needs were taken into account when developing local policies in the areas of air quality, water management, and youth policy.

During the implementation of the project, the following key activities were carried out and significant results were achieved:

• 10 local self-government units (LSGs) were selected – local communities where air quality and water management issues represented significant local priorities were selected. As part of the process, existing policies were analysed and opportunities for their improvement were identified. The project was implemented in Bor, Kraljevo, Kruševac, Pančevo, Čačak, Smederevo, Niš, Novi Pazar, Pirot, and Užice.
• 30 youth leaders were selected and trained – through an open and inclusive selection process, 30 young people from diverse backgrounds were selected, with a particular focus on including young people from vulnerable and underrepresented groups.
• A Training of Trainers (ToT) programme was conducted – the programme combined in-person workshops and online sessions and covered topics related to public policies, advocacy, and the use of UNICEF's U-Report tool. Through the training, youth leaders acquired practical knowledge and skills needed for active participation in decision-making processes and engagement in their local communities.
• Five local youth advocacy initiatives were implemented in six local communities – youth leaders, in cooperation with their peers, identified local challenges, proposed concrete solutions, and implemented initiatives aimed at improving policies related to air quality and youth participation.
• Ten peer education workshops were held in six local self-government units – trained youth leaders shared the knowledge and skills they had acquired with their peers, focusing on air quality, public policies, and opportunities for youth participation in decision-making processes. A total of 214 young people attended the workshops, thereby further expanding the project's reach and encouraging more active youth participation in local decision-making processes.
• Meetings with local decision-makers were organised – during the project, young people had the opportunity to present the results of the activities implemented, highlight identified challenges, and
• present concrete recommendations to local decision-makers for improving policies in areas relevant to young people and environmental protection.

The project was implemented from 15 August 2025 to 31 May 2026.