GrowSPACE and the Transatlantic Foundation Boost Youth Activism in Poland
In recent years, the Warsaw-based Fundacja GrowSPACE has become one of Poland’s most vibrant civil society organizations in the arenas of education, youth empowerment, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Through the support of the Engaging Central Europe and PROTEUS programs of the Transatlantic Foundation (TF), GrowSPACE has successfully scaled two core initiatives: Tęczowy Piątek (Rainbow Friday) and Weź Sprawy w Swoje Ręce (Take Matters Into Your Own Hands). These demonstrate how youth-led determination, coupled with strategic external backing, can drive tangible change, even in the face of significant challenges.
A More Welcoming Environment for LGBTQ+ Students
Launched in 2016, Tęczowy Piątek is held annually on the last Friday of October, marking a nationwide day of diversity and inclusion in Polish schools. Initiated by youth activists, its mission is to foster a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ students.
With GrowSPACE’s leadership and GMF’s support, the 2023 edition reached unprecedented scale—engaging hundreds of students in over 220 schools across Poland. For the first time, the initiative incorporated an online hub and a professional volunteer network, greatly expanding its reach and impact.
The Safe Space theme was at the heart of the event. Beyond simply wearing stickers or attending events, young people were empowered to co-design workshops, to speak out publicly, to build peer networks, and to assert their visibility in schools.
The impact is perhaps best illustrated by a story from a Warsaw school. At a GrowSPACE press conference, 17-year-old student Zofia Wieloch declared: “We have an obligation to ensure that everyone feels wanted, safe, and comfortable in our school.” Her words reflected a growing shift in Polish society’s attitudes toward inclusion.
Empowering Regional Youth
Running alongside Tęczowy Piątek, the Weź Sprawy w Swoje Ręce program addressed the unique challenges faced by youth in smaller towns and less-resourced communities, particularly in the towns of Jarosław, Mielec, and Tarnobrzeg in Podkarpackie region.
It delivered weekend workshops on design thinking, anti-discrimination, mental-health awareness, and project mentoring for 60 young participants.
One standout example comes from Mielec, where members of the local youth council applied the Double Diamond design-thinking method to identify their peers’ needs. They went on to develop a project promoting inclusive youth culture, organizing peer-led workshops and community events that fostered greater acceptance and participation.
This regional focus is vital in Poland’s smaller towns, where LGBTQ+ and minority youth often lack safe spaces or visibility. By empowering these young people to lead local initiatives, GrowSPACE nurtures confidence, capacity, and grassroots ecosystems of change.
Lessons Learned Through Strategic Partnership
The collaboration between GrowSPACE and GMF marries strategic international support with authentic, grassroots, youth-led action. Rather than imposing top-down solutions, the model centers participation, making students not just beneficiaries but also co-creators.
This approach builds sustainability. Thanks to training, peer networks, and toolkits—such as the comprehensive educational package for Tęczowy Piątek, which includes e-learning, workshop plans, and inclusive-language modules—these efforts endure beyond a single day or event.
As Poland’s civic space faces ongoing pressure, especially around youth rights and inclusion, these initiatives demonstrate the power of steady, incremental change. Their success shows how strategic alliances can nurture youth agency. From classrooms to town halls, young people are finding and amplifying their voices.
At its core, this is a story of youth empowerment. Whether it is putting up a rainbow sticker in a school hallway or designing a community initiative in Mielec, Poland’s young people are truly taking matters into their own hands, and, with the right support, are making a meaningful difference.
The Take Matters Into Your Own Hands project, supported by the Engaging Central Europe program of the Transatlantic Foundation, was implemented under the PROTEUS program and co-funded by the European Union.
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Transatlantic Foundation (TF) or the European Union (EU). Neither the EU nor TF can be held responsible for them.
