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YouthINC Final Conference in Cristuru Secuiesc: Celebrating Invisible Heroes and Youth-Led Community Change
Between November 25 and 26, 2025, Cristuru Secuiesc hosted the final conference of the YouthINC project, bringing together international partners, local youth, educators, and community representatives. The event marked the conclusion of a two-year journey dedicated to discovering invisible local heroes and empowering young people to think critically about inclusion, memory, and community impact.
🌍 Day 1 – International Partner Meeting
On November 25, representatives from Hungary, Germany, Albania, Kosovo and Israel met in Cristuru Secuiesc for the final transnational partner meeting.
The agenda included:
- reviewing the last administrative and methodological steps
- evaluating the overall impact of two years of cooperation
- discussing how the MAKIVI Action and PBL methodology worked in each country
- preparing the final dissemination tasks and possible future opportunities and ideas
🎙️ Day 2 – Roundtable Discussion and Workshop
The roundtable began with a short introduction of all participants, followed by a structured discussion built around key reflective questions connected to the YouthINC project. The conversation offered deep insights into how communities define “heroes,” why some remain invisible, and how the project shaped young participants.
During the roundtable, participants shared what they had learned while discovering local heroes: that communities are full of diverse, often unnoticed individuals whose quiet contributions shape everyday life. They reflected on how we choose heroes, usually based on community needs and shared values and noted examples of local recognition traditions.
Partners also highlighted how the project strengthened young people’s technical and social skills, as well as their confidence to take action. The discussion touched on everyday, unrecognized heroism found in families, caregivers, or community helpers, and how social context influences who is celebrated. Participants also explored why many heroes remain invisible from safety concerns to lack of awareness, limited recognition circles, or simple jealousy. The roundtable closed with the shared belief that discovering heroes should continue: through more exhibitions, youth activities, and ongoing documentation that keeps these stories alive.
Workshop Connection
Following the roundtable, the workshop reinforced these themes through:
- a P4C (Philosophy for Children) “Belief Bingo”, opening discussion about values and assumptions
- a dialogue on the qualities that make life meaningful
- an artistic activity where participants drew a “hero” and gave them visual traits that represent what society expects or admires
These activities helped deepen critical thinking about inclusion, heroism, and the many forms that community contribution can take.
🏛️ Public Conference & Heroes Exhibition
In the afternoon, we welcomed community members, representatives of local institutions, educators, youth workers, decision-makers and anyone interested in the project and our general work during the year.
The public conference presented all project results, the findings of the MAKIVI Actions, the process of creating digital monuments and the learning journey of young participants.
On the picture you can see one of our local hero, Zsuzsanna Vári
Visitors then had chance to explore the Local Heroes Exhibition, where the stories collected by youth were displayed through posters, descriptions, and QR codes leading to the digital monuments published on IZI.TRAVEL. The exhibition allowed the community to finally meet the people whose quiet, consistent work shapes everyday life.
Thank you to all partners, youth participants, and community members who brought YouthINC to life.
