Youth are the future – both in terms of social and technological development. But how do we engage young people in educational events that will not only enrich their knowledge but also open up new opportunities? The company Klientocentryczni, in a project carried out for the Copernicus Science Centre, set out to create a strategy and framework for cyclical dialog events that would effectively attract and engage youth. What tools were used, and what solutions were developed?

Design Thinking in Service of the Youth

The project was planned as a series of three online workshops, engaging a diverse group of participants: students from primary and secondary schools, experts from various fields, and employees of institutions such as NASK and the Copernicus Science Centre. Using the design thinking methodology, the focus from the outset was on understanding the needs of the target audience – young people.

The workshop process began with the formulation of hypotheses. A key challenge was to investigate what truly motivates young people and what barriers they see to participating in educational events. Through desk research and interviews, it became clear that many of the initial assumptions needed to be re-evaluated. For example, while it was initially assumed that young people avoid engaging in additional activities, conversations revealed that they are, in fact, eager to participate in events if they see real value and benefit in them.

How to Create Engaging Events?

Based on the gathered information, the Klientocentryczni team proposed several creative techniques that helped generate ideas for engaging youth in events. These included:

• Analogies – seeking inspiration from other fields, such as Netflix or IKEA, to find ways to attract the attention of young audiences.
• Associations – working on ideas based on visual stimuli, which sparked participants' creativity.
• Perspective Shifts – for example, looking at the problem through the eyes of innovators like Steve Jobs or Walt Disney.

These exercises helped participants break away from traditional thinking patterns and come up with ideas that could effectively engage youth.

Workshop Results

The team generated dozens of solution proposals, from which five of the most promising were selected. These innovative ideas addressed areas such as communication strategies, event programming, and expert involvement. Key topics like Big Data, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality were incorporated to further attract young participants. The selected solutions were detailed in concept cards and had a real impact on shaping the subsequent editions of the dialog events.

Why Does It Work?

The "Let's Talk About the Future" project demonstrated the importance of listening to the voice of youth. The interviews conducted, their needs analysis, and the creative working methods led to the development of an offer that meets their expectations. Through open collaboration between experts and young people, a space was created where knowledge and experiences could be exchanged in an attractive and engaging way. Moreover, for the young workshop participants, it was an inspiring experience that allowed them to develop new skills and overcome their resistance to discussion.

The dialog events organized by the Copernicus Science Centre are a space where young people not only gain new knowledge but also shape their future. For the experts, it’s an opportunity to see the world from a new perspective – the one offered by young people.

Would you like to learn more about designing engaging educational events for youth? Check out full report on the Klientocentryczni website.