Project “Latgale = Latvia” – Empowering Young People in Latgale
From 18 to 20 September 2024, youth representatives from YATA Latvia visited schools in several towns and cities across the Latgale region to meet students and inspire them through personal stories about civic engagement and different opportunities for growth and development.
“Latgale = Latvia” is a project aimed at young people living in Latgale, highlighting the wide range of opportunities available to youth in Latvia, regardless of whether they live in a larger city or a smaller town. Through sharing their own experiences and real-life examples, young people encouraged others to become more active, confident, and open to new possibilities.
During the school visits, the team discussed opportunities that are accessible already during high school in Latvia and abroad, such as participating in the Youth Saeima or joining the National Guard, as well as options that become available after graduation, including studying abroad and internship programmes. The main goal of the visits was to raise awareness about these pathways and motivate young people not to be afraid to try, take initiative, and make use of the opportunities available to them.
The visits concluded with a public event in Daugavpils dedicated to media literacy and artificial intelligence awareness, titled “Don’t Get Lost in AI-Generated Disinformation.” The event was led by researchers and LATO members Vitālijs Rakstiņš and Ingemārs Vekteris and was open to young people as well as anyone interested in strengthening their understanding of media literacy and AI.
As part of the “Latgale = Latvia” project, 10 young people from Latgale were invited to participate in the Latvia–Nordic youth cooperation conference “The Importance of Global Conventions,” held in Riga from 8 to 11 November.
The project is supported by the Embassy of the United States in Latvia and is implemented by the LATO youth organisation YATA Latvia.