Day 2: Climbing the Participation Ladder (and Making Pizza on Each Other’s Backs)
By Day 2, Wojnicz was fully awake. The early awkwardness of meeting new people was gone — replaced by laughter over breakfast and the occasional “Can you pass the jam?” in four different accents. Everyone already knew each other’s fruits from the day before, but now it was time to dive into the real theme of NextGen: Future Leaders: youth participation.
The morning began with a name game that turned into a mini battle of reflexes. Two teams faced off, hidden by a blanket, and as it dropped, the first to shout the other person’s name won. The room erupted in cheers every time someone hesitated a second too long — it’s surprisingly stressful when your brain forgets the name of your new best friend at the crucial moment.
Then came the World Café — a buzzing, idea-filled morning of teamwork and dialogue. Four tables, four big questions: Participation & Empowerment, Stakeholders & Decision-Making, Inclusion & Youth Voice, and Policy & Civic Engagement. Participants rotated between tables like curious travelers, adding thoughts, arguments, and doodles to the paper-covered discussions. By the end, the tables looked like maps of ideas — colorful, chaotic, and full of insight. It was the first time everyone realized just how much knowledge the group already carried within itself.
After a quick coffee break, it was time for something different: the Pizza Making energizer. No, not real pizza — a human pizza. Everyone stood in a circle, turned to the right, and started “kneading dough” on the back of the person in front of them, chopping imaginary tomatoes, sprinkling cheese, and pretending to bake each other into a delicious, giggly mess. If laughter could be measured in calories, this was a three-course meal.
The afternoon brought reflection — a slower, more thoughtful rhythm. In the Personal Experience session, each participant sat quietly and wrote down moments when they had taken part in something meaningful — a project, a club, a protest, a small act of change. Then they shared in pairs, and later in groups, uncovering how participation looks different in every life.
That reflection led perfectly into exploring Roger Hart’s famous Ladder of Participation — the model that shows how youth involvement can climb from being passive to truly empowering. Soon, sticky notes from the morning were spread across the floor as participants asked themselves, “On which step am I?” and debated where each example fit. Some discovered they’d been “consulted,” others realized they’d been “co-creators.” The discussion was full of insights — and a few healthy arguments.
Later in the day, it was time for hands-on teamwork with the Marshmallow Challenge. Spaghetti towers rose (and fell) around the room as teams raced to balance a single marshmallow on top. Some towers stood proudly; others collapsed in spectacular fashion — but every group walked away knowing that creativity, patience, and a bit of humor were just as important as structure.
The evening closed with Poland’s Intercultural Night — a whirl of music, snacks, and dance steps that may or may not have followed any real choreography. Everyone tried traditional Polish moves, laughed through failed attempts, and left the room glowing with energy and sugar from the shared treats.
Day 2 ended with full stomachs, tired voices, and a growing sense of connection. The theme of “participation” wasn’t just theory anymore — it was being lived, step by step, laugh by laugh.
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