This is already the sixth edition of Ready for the Future

We invite those who work with youth at community centers, libraries, and nonprofit organizations, as well as teachers, educators, parents, and guardians, to the sixth edition of the event Ready for the Future: A Do-Over At Adulthood, during which we will explore how to build partnerships with young people.

The event, which is part of the “Equal Opportunities” program, is organized by the Ready for the Future Foundation and will take place on October 13, 2026 (Tuesday) at 10:00 a.m. online at gnp26.pl and on the “Equal Opportunities” Facebook page.

More Space for Youth

True change in our relationship with young people doesn’t begin with yet another set of instructions, prohibitions, or attempts to “fix” them. It begins with us and a moment of reflection on our own habits. The more we try to control, the less space there is for trust, agency, and responsibility.

As adults, we play a key role in this process. It’s up to us whether we can take a step back: instead of deciding for young people, we can help them take action, create a safe space for them to experiment, and stay by their side—even when things don’t go according to plan.

During this year’s edition, we’ll focus on how to move from automatic reactions to greater understanding and partnership you will:

• explore what might lie behind teenagers’ aloofness, one-word answers, and resistance: the biology of puberty, emotions, and the need for independence.
• reflect on what adults need to unlearn in order to be partners to young people, rather than people who enforce rules and do everything for them.
• learn why simply banning cell phones and the Internet doesn’t work and what young people are really looking for online.
• discover how to give young people real influence in a small town—at school, in the library, and within the local community.
• learn ways to give young people responsibility without leaving them to fend for themselves, as well as the line beyond which involving young people in decisions becomes merely superficial.
• We’ll bring together different worlds: knowledge about the biology of the maturing brain, psychology, and sociology; 25 years of experience from the Equal Opportunities program; and the direct, honest voices of the teenagers themselves. We don’t need more complicated theories or ready-made “solutions for troubled youth”—just a moment to pause and take a collective look at our adult reflexes.

Agenda and Guests

Who is the young person we’re trying to “fix”?
By Marek Kaczmarzyk, Ph.D., Justyna Żukowska-Gołębiewska

What do we need to unlearn in order to be partners to young people?
By Joanna Berendt, Michał Romanowski, Natalia Kryjak, Dawid Świderski, Zosia Włochyńska, Krzysztof Gąsiorowski

Why don’t bans work, and what are young people really looking for online?
By Dr. Jacek Pyżalski, Sylwia Czubkowska, Michał Radomił Wiśniewski

How can we give young people real influence in a small town?
By Dr. Jędrzej Witkowski, Ewa Radanowicz, Dr. Przemysław Sadura

How can we give young people responsibility without leaving them on their own?
By Kacper Nowicki, Prof. Marcin Napiórkowski

The event will be moderated by Janusz Schwertner.

The meeting will last about 3 hours and consists of five sessions, so you can join the entire event or choose the ones that interest you the most.

Why Is It Worth Registering?

Participation in the event is open to everyone, but after registering on the website you will:

• receive a reminder email before the event begins,
• get a set of illustrated notes from all sessions, ready to print and use in your work with young people,
• receive a summary and key takeaways from each session,
• be able to receive a personalized certificate of participation.

Join us

October 13 at 10:00 a.m. Register today at gnp26.pl

Follow the event on the Równać Szanse Facebook page.

Participation is free.