The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, and H.E. Beatrice Schaer, Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to the Republic of Croatia. Following the ceremonial award and project presentations, an implementation workshop dedicated to microprojects took place.

The total value of the SELO project is 101,020.92 EUR, with 90,918.83 EUR secured in grant funding through the Swiss-Croatian Cooperation Programme. The project will be carried out over the next 20 months across the municipality of Gornja Rijeka in Koprivnica-Križevci County, in the settlement of Kolarec.

Through the SELO project, the local community will be actively engaged via two complementary microprojects:

• „Rising from the Ashes“ – a participatory transformation of a public green area into a living memorial space through nature-based solutions.
• „Room of Silence“ – the creation of an intimate sound installation gathering recorded stories and reflections of local residents on resilience, local history, loss, and community cohesion.

By bringing together intergenerational collaboration, volunteering, ecological restoration, and the preservation of local memory, the SELO project provides a meaningful contribution to the social and climate resilience of rural communities.

Objava Grant Contract Signed for the SELO Project Under the Swiss-Croatian Cooperation Programme pojavila se prvi puta na UKorak.

The European Union’s New European Bauhaus initiative celebrates projects that combine sustainability, aesthetics and social inclusion to transform living spaces across Europe. Winning this award is clear proof that small communities have the vision, capacity and drive to lead green and community-focused innovation on the European stage.

The project “Igralište koje raste” is designed as a dynamic, sustainable public space that fosters outdoor play, ecological awareness and community connection – growing and evolving alongside the children who use it. As a grassroots civil society organization that initiated this project, KORAK is proud to see this project recognized at the highest level.

This achievement would not have been possible without strong cross-sector collaboration. We extend our deepest gratitude to:

• Primary School Sidonije Rubido Erdödy Gornja Rijeka, core project partner, for their dedication, teamwork and enthusiasm in integrating sustainable spaces into educational and daily life;
• Zaklada Adris (Adris Foundation), for providing crucial co-funding and placing their trust in the potential of this local initiative.

The NEB Boost Prize provides both well-deserved European recognition and valuable momentum to support the further phases and expansion of the playground.

Congratulations to the Municipality of Gornja Rijeka, our partners and the entire community. We look forward to taking the next steps together!

Objava “Playground That Grows” Earns the Prestigious New European Bauhaus Boost Prize pojavila se prvi puta na UKorak.

Objava Heritage days in Kolarec pojavila se prvi puta na UKorak.

We hope this will send a message to other villages, small municipalities, and towns across Europe that social infrastructure – especially for children – does not have to be made of concrete and catalogue playground equipment to be valuable.

Children’s imagination, play and healthy development grow through experiential learning, sensory activities and connection with the world around them. Some very important things simply cannot be learned by going down a slide or sitting in a classroom.

The partners in the project are Sidonija Rubido Erdödy Primary School and the Municipality of Gornja Rijeka.

The project was co-funded through a donation from the Adris Foundation.

Objava The European Rural Pact Recognizes “Playground that Grows” as a Good Practice Example for Rural Areas pojavila se prvi puta na UKorak.

Ovom edukacijom Saša će povećati kapacitete udruge u kontekstu planiranja i izgradnje buduće vlastite infrastrukture te uređenja prostora prema principima permakulture i energetske učinkovitosti. To će udruzi omogućiti samostalno i ekonomski održivo održavanje objekata uz minimalan utjecaj na prirodu.

Zahvaljujemo udruzi ZMAG / Reciklirano imanje na znanju koje dijele i podršci našem članu.

Objava Saša Kos, a Member of the KORAK Association, Is Currently Attending the Natural Building Summer School pojavila se prvi puta na UKorak.

Participants shared experiences from local projects and discussed challenges, the sustainability of volunteer work, and ways to engage local communities and decision-makers.

A special focus was placed on preparations for the 10th European Day of Sustainable Communities (EDSC26), strengthening collaboration, and sharing good practices among initiatives.

We also had a chance to connect as a Croatian group! We gathered in a smaller group to discuss the importance of continuous knowledge exchange, mutual support and building connections.

ECOLISE is a European network of communities working towards regeneration and social transformation. Within the Living Lab project, Vestigium demonstrates the wide range of activities we undertake – from farmers’ markets and clothing swaps to gardening and textile upcycling workshops, as well as supporting small initiatives and exchanging experiences and knowledge with partners from Finland, France, Spain and Portugal.

Objava The Regular Monthly Regenerative Communities Fund Meeting with Partners from Across Europe Was Held pojavila se prvi puta na UKorak.