How do we foster collaboration between higher education students and local NGOs and CSOs? This question was at the core of COCO's second transnational project meeting (TPM) taking place in Poznan, Poland on 14-16 October 2026.
Hosted by project coordinator Adam Mickiewicz University, the meeting brought together project partners - ACEEU, the University of Camerino, Aalborg University, and PISOP - to review key project milestones and take an important step towards the next phase of the project: the development of COCO Civic Classrooms, which aim at providing HEI students with material, skills and opportunities to collaborate closely with non-profit and civil society organisations in their communities.
A key highlight of the meeting was a co-creation workshop dedicated to shaping the Civic Classrooms. The workshop brought together the partners’ pedagogical and methodological expertise, students’ perspectives, and valuable insights from representatives of two non-profit organisations based in Poznań. This collaborative approach helped ensure that the Civic Classrooms reflect the needs and experiences of the people and organisations they are designed to support.
The TPM was also an occasion for partners to discuss progress made, reflect on the overall implementation of the project in its first year, and share updates on ongoing activities. Here, ACEEU presented the COCO Awareness Guide, which provides an overview of barriers, opportunities and lessons learned retrieved from the implementation of the Deliberative Mini-Publics and Reciprocal Mentorship Sessions conducted at the three university partners during the past months.
What comes next? The COCO partners are now moving forward with the development of the Civic Classrooms, turning shared ideas and insights into opportunities for meaningful collaboration.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Civic Classrooms and their upcoming activities! In the meantime, explore the COCO Awareness Guide on the COCO website to discover key insights and lessons learned from the project so far.
