As part of the ECONNECTING URBACT Network, the municipality recently completed its second Small Scale Action – an initiative designed to raise awareness, spark dialogue, and generate proposals for improving everyday life in West Mani from a child’s perspective.
The action involved students aged 6 to 12 from the elementary schools of Kampos and Stoupa. Using the URBACT tool “Newspaper of Tomorrow,” students were invited to envision a better future for their municipality. Through drawings and written expressions, they explored challenges and opportunities related to mobility, public space, and community well-being, offering a fresh, hopeful, and even remarkably insightful points of view.
Children's work was showcased at a public event, held on 5th and 6th June 2025. Interactive workshops and activities were included. During the workshops, the children were free to suggest ways in which their schools and neighbourhoods could be improved. A democratic voting activity enabled them to prioritize key actions, initiatives and projects that could enhance their daily lives in West Mani. In this way, the students became “Mayors for one day”, offering their own fresh and optimistic perspective on the future of their community. This experience served as invaluable lesson in civic responsibility, witnessed by parents, teachers, local residents, and members of the URBACT Local Group.
What lessons can we learn
This hands-on, small-scale and civic action was more than educational: it had real consequences. The Mayor of West Mani attended the events, engaged with the students’ ideas, and made a public commitment to implementing the proposed improvements in both participating schools. This direct line of communication between young citizens and decision-makers exemplifies how responsive governance can be fostered through inclusive local actions.
The initiative empowered children, giving them a voice and, more importantly, ensuring that voice was heard. The project has become a model for how small-scale, participatory processes can generate a lasting impact on the community, foster early civic awareness and build a culture of trust between institutions and citizens of all ages.
If you are planning a similar initiative, remember the importance of fostering creativity and structured participation to effect real change! West Mani's experience within the ECONNECTING network is a compelling reminder that when children are involved in shaping their towns, they don't just imagine the future: they help to build it.
