Posilňovanie a inklúzia mládeže - Participatívne rozpočtovanie pre mládež na Slovensku: Prípadová štúdia

The implementation of participatory budgeting in schools, both globally and in Slovakia in particular, represents an innovative process that introduces new opportunities for the development of students, their perception of the school environment, and their view of society as a whole. Research in this field remains limited and considerably fragmented, reflecting the relatively recent adoption of this innovative approach. The main objective of this article is to contribute to the understanding of youth-oriented participatory budgeting within the selected case study, and to contribute to the identification of the benefits and self-perceived empowerment of students who decided to participate in participatory budgeting. Within the framework of exploratory research, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted to gain deeper insights into the experiences of participants. These were followed by a questionnaire that collected comparable data from 134 students, revealing differences between those who participated in participatory budgeting and those who did not. Students who participated shown a higher self-assessment of their abilities and provided more positive evaluations of the community as a whole, and of their school environment in particular. Research findings point to the positive impact of participatory budgeting in selected school on students' personal development. Participation in participatory budgeting not only develops practical skills, but also strengthens their belief that they can actively influence their surroundings and contribute to the improvement of the community.