Country of Residence
Nigeria
Age
19
Project title
Civic Voices: Young People Creating Change
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Civic Voices empowers young people with civic knowledge, leadership skills, and opportunities to identify problems in their communities and work together to create practical solutions.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
Iamdare_dam
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Idea (We’re hoping to get started in the future)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
I began thinking about Civic Voices after realizing that many young people have ideas about problems in their communities but often do not know how to turn those ideas into meaningful action. Young people are not only future leaders; they can contribute to their communities today when they have the knowledge, confidence, and opportunities to participate. I wanted to create a project that makes civic participation easier and more accessible to students. Civic Voices was born from the belief that when young people understand their responsibilities, speak up about issues that affect them, and work together, they can become powerful agents of positive change.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Many young people are aware of problems in their communities but lack practical knowledge about civic participation and how they can contribute to solving those problems. Civic education can sometimes feel distant or theoretical, leaving students unsure about how to move from learning about citizenship to taking action. This can create a gap between young people's ideas and meaningful community participation. Civic Voices aims to address this gap by giving students practical civic knowledge, leadership skills, and opportunities to work together on issues they care about. This matters because communities become stronger when young people are informed, confident, and actively involved in creating solutions.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
Civic Voices will create a student-led platform for learning, discussion, and community action. We will organize interactive civic-education sessions where students learn about citizenship, leadership, community responsibilities, and ways to participate constructively in their communities. Students will then identify problems around them and work in teams to develop practical solutions. We will support selected ideas through small community action projects and encourage students to document their impact. The project will also use social media to share simple civic-education content and highlight young people making positive contributions. By combining education with real-world action, Civic Voices will help young people move from simply knowing about civic responsibility to actively practicing it.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
Civic Voices is currently at the idea stage, so our impact is a goal rather than a number we can claim yet. In the first year, we aim to introduce the project to at least 200 students through school-based civic education sessions, discussions, and community-action activities. We hope to have at least 50 students actively participate in team-based projects that address issues they identify in their own communities. We will measure impact through the number of students reached, students who participate in activities, projects completed, and feedback showing increased confidence in civic participation and leadership. Beyond numbers, our goal is to help young people realize that they do not have to wait until they are adults to contribute to their communities. By giving students practical opportunities to identify problems, develop solutions, and take action, we believe Civic Voices can build a culture of responsible and active citizenship that continues beyond the project.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
What makes Civic Voices different is that it connects civic education directly to community action. Instead of only teaching students about citizenship, leadership, or social issues, we give them an opportunity to identify problems around them and work together to do something about them. The project is designed around a simple cycle: Learn → Identify → Collaborate → Act → Measure. Students first learn practical civic skills, then identify an issue that matters to their community. They form small teams, develop a realistic solution, carry it out, and reflect on the results. We will also use social media and simple digital tools to share lessons, ideas, and stories from the projects, allowing successful approaches to reach more young people. Another important difference is that students are not treated simply as beneficiaries. They are decision-makers and problem-solvers. Their experiences and ideas help determine which issues the project focuses on. This makes the program more participatory and gives young people genuine ownership of the change they create. Civic Voices does not require expensive technology or large resources to begin. It can start in one school with a small group and grow through partnerships with other schools, youth organizations, community leaders, and volunteers.
How many people are on your team?
1
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
I currently lead Civic Voices and am responsible for developing the idea, coordinating activities, and guiding the project's direction. As the project develops, I plan to build a team of students with different strengths, including communications, research, community outreach, digital media, and project coordination. Leadership will be shared by giving team members responsibility for specific activities and involving them in important decisions. I want the team to grow through collaboration rath
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, I plan to develop Civic Voices from an idea into a small but active student-led initiative. First, I will conduct informal research with students and community members to understand the civic issues young people care about most and identify the needs our project should address. Second, I will recruit a small team of motivated students and define clear responsibilities for communication, research, outreach, and project coordination. Third, we will pilot Civic Voices in one school or community by organizing civic-learning sessions and helping students develop and complete a small community-action project.After the pilot, we will collect feedback, measure participation and results, and improve the program based on what we learn. We will then seek partnerships with schools, youth organizations, teachers, community leaders, and other groups that can help us reach more young people. We also plan to create social-media content that makes civic education simple and accessible. By the end of the first year, our goal is to have a tested model, an active student team, measurable community impact, and a clear plan for expanding Civic Voices to more schools and communities.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I will encourage young people to join Civic Voices by making civic participation simple, practical, and relevant to their everyday lives. I plan to use school discussions, interactive sessions, social media, and peer-to-peer outreach to explain why civic engagement matters and show how young people can contribute to their communities. I will invite interested students to join small teams based on their skills and interests, such as research, communication, outreach, and project coordination. We will also encourage participants to bring their friends and share their experiences with others. Rather than simply asking young people to listen, I will give them opportunities to identify problems they care about and participate in creating solutions. I also hope to work with teachers, youth organizations, and community leaders who can help us reach more students. As the project grows, we will share stories, results, and lessons from our activities online so that other young people can learn from them and become inspired to take action in their own communities.
