Forward Emphasis: Rooted in Community, Driven by People
Giving Back Is Part of Who We Are At Forward…
The Civic Labs for Young People (CLYP) is an innovative European project led here in Ireland by Atlantic Technological University in partnership with Donegal Youth Service bringing a fresh approach to youth development across our county and beyond.
Young people lack the self-confidence they need to initiate entrepreneurship or community projects. Traditional programs often focus solely on employability skills while overlooking the crucial foundations of self-confidence, resilience, and civic engagement. CLYP addresses this gap by equipping youth organizations with the framework, methods, and tools for starting Civic Labs as cross-sectoral innovative spaces for youth personal ‘incubation’ and community project experimentation.
Unlike traditional incubators or accelerators that pressure young people for immediate success, Civic Labs create supportive environments where experimentation, learning from experience, and continuous growth are embraced.
The project has collected data and insights from more than 200 young people and stakeholders across Greece, Ireland, Norway, Romania, and the Netherlands, developing innovative tools including The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Post-Pandemic Youth Engagement, Self-Incubation Cards and Self-Development Journeys, and the Small-Wins Programme.
These tools are creative resources designed to spark self-discovery and entrepreneurial thinking. Youth workers, educators and other community stakeholders can use the CLYP tools to support young people to develop their ideas, build leadership skills, and engage meaningfully with their communities—all while developing the confidence and resilience they need to thrive.
The impact is already visible across our county. Earlier this year, CLYP brought together aspiring young leaders from Karen Murphy School of Speech, Drama and Communications for an engaging workshop at ATU exploring how leadership skills and community development go hand-in-hand. The session featured insights from Michael Murphy, Donegal GAA men’s senior captain and Head of Sport at ATU Donegal, demonstrating how leadership translates across different aspects of community life.
The partnership between CLYP and Donegal Giving reflects a shared belief: that giving – whether time, skills, experience, or opportunity – builds stronger communities and more confident individuals. While CLYP empowers young people to experiment, lead, and engage civically, Donegal Giving celebrates and amplifies this culture of contribution across all generations.
Together, these initiatives recognize that meaningful community engagement isn’t about perfection – it’s about creating spaces where people of all ages can contribute, learn, grow, and support one another in building the Donegal we all want to see.
CLYP is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme (2023-2-IE01-KA220-YOU-000180842) and runs from 2024-2026. For more information about the initiative visit clyp-initiative.eu.
