Co-funded by the European Union

With its Erasmus+ Key Action 2, the European Union is providing support for cooperation projects between organisations. These projects in the youth field aim to exchange good practice, use new technologies, develop innovative teaching and learning methods, support non-formal learning and develop common tools and activities at local, regional, national or European level. In the Framework of the Generation Europe network, the European Union has co-funded the following partnerships:

Youth Voices Rising: Empowering Through Local and EU Advocacy

Cooperation Partnership in Youth | 01 April 2025 – 31 May 2027

Project website: youth-voices.eu

The project is designed to equip young people with the skills to influence policy-making and enhance their civic participation. By promoting youth work as a powerful solution to challenges in society, we aim to empower young people, especially those with fewer opportunities, and their organisations to become active participants in democratic life. Through innovative training, international lobbying activities, and targeted social media knowledge transfer, we will support them in driving change within their communities and advocating for better youth work conditions across Europe.

Our approach combines research with practical application. We begin by identifying current needs and then roll out a series of specialised training modules on advocacy and local as well as international lobbying. A core element is our multiplier training, which will enable youth workers to teach these advocacy skills at a local level. Participants will also engage in hands-on lobbying activities to make their voices heard directly.

The project has a multilayered impact: we are training a group of competent young representatives to represent their own interests and also enhance the advocacy potential of their sending organisations. Key outcomes include the development of new training materials on advocacy and on the successful implementation of youth-led campaigns and strategies. Overall, Youth Voices Rising will foster a stronger network of youth organisations, contribute to improving youth work policies and ensure greater youth participation in the democratic processes that shape their future.

Coordinator: Internationales Bildungs- und Begegnungswerk e.V. (Dortmund, Germany) | Project Partners: Jugendakademie Walberberg (Bornheim, Germany) | Stiftung Europäische Jugendbildungs- und Jugendbegegnungsstätte Weimar (Weimar, Germany) | Internationales Forum Burg Liebenzell e.V. (Bad Liebenzell, Germany) | Associazione Interculturale NUR (Cagliari, Italy) | YouthCoop – Cooperativa para o Desenvolvimento e Cidadania CRL (Agualva-Cacém, Portugal) | Szubjektív Értékek Alapítvány (Budapest, Hungary) | KIRKO S.E. (Thessaloniki, Greece) | Irenia, Jocs de Pau (La Nou de Berguedà, Spain)

Network for Active Improvement of Youth Work

Cooperation Partnership in Youth | 01 March 2022 – 31 May 2025

The project addressed the needs of a post-pandemic society characterised by increasing uncertainty and was a direct response to urgent challenges in the field of youth work. It was designed to strengthen youth work structures and actively involve young people with fewer opportunities both in their local communities and across Europe. Youth work organisations faced major challenges in engaging young people and were confronted with increasing mental health issues and a growing workload. There was therefore an urgent need for innovative and effective practices. The project was an integral part of Generation Europe – The Academy in the 2021-2025 funding period, involving 42 youth work organisations from 14 European countries.

The project focused on several key areas: It improved connections between local and European youth work by sharing best practises, developing joint advocacy strategies, and by training youth work professionals. Building on the success of previous collaborations to ensure continuity, we tackled systemic issues such as the lack of strategically and sustainably structured local youth work and insufficient support for the working field from political decision-makers. A central element was to further develop tools and methods for value-based non-formal education and to improve participatory approaches to youth work at the local level, empowering youth workers to better support young people. The success of the project is also evident in the key publications:

  • Generation Europe Booklets
    This is a series of five booklets for youth workers: How to set up a youth group for active citizenship? How to do strategic youth work for inclusion? How do we promote the physical and mental wellbeing of participants and youth leaders? How do we facilitate youth engagement in participatory processes at local level? How do we connect young people with their local communities? The booklets are a support and resource for the community of practice.
  • Take Power. Handbook to Get Started With Advocacy and Lobbying
    Youth work is an essential component of functioning democracies and contributes to social equality and inclusion. However, it cannot be taken for granted that those who decide on the social framework and financial resources are aware of the specific needs that young people and youth work professionals have. This handbook is a comprehensive guide for advocacy and lobbying and is aimed at all those in the field who want to help improve the conditions for young people and the structures in which they can become active.
  • Discussing Civic Education. Handout on Different Understandings of the Term and Common Solutions
    Civic education plays an important role in empowering young people to be active and engaged citizens. Within the Generation Europe – The Academy network, however, there were different understandings of the term civic education. This made collaboration on this topic challenging at times. This handout documents the network’s efforts to develop a common understanding by interviewing participants and analysing their responses in order to deepen the dialogue between the network partners.

Coordinator: Internationales Bildungs- und Begegnungswerk e.V. (Dortmund, Germany) | Project Partners: Associació Càlam – Art, Educació, Sostenibilitat (Spain) | Esplora (Italy) | Fundacja IRSE (Poland) | Irenia, Jocs de Pau (Spain) | Jugendakademie Walberberg (Germany) | Landeshauptstadt München, Pädagogisches Institut – Zentrum für Kommunales Bildungsmanagement (Germany) | MTÜ Noored Toredate Mõtetega (Estonia) | Oficina Fermento – Cooperativa para o Desenvolvimento de Cidadania Ativa (Portugal) | Synergy of Music Theatre (Greece) | Szubjektív Értékek Alapítvány (Hungary) | YouthCoop – Cooperativa para o Desenvolvimento e Cidadania CRL (Agualva-Cacém, Portugal)

Generation Europe: The Ambassadors

Strategic Partnership in Youth | 01 February 2021 – 31 December 2023

The project has created an innovative framework for promoting democratic engagement and civic education among young Europeans. It was designed in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and addressed long-standing challenges in youth work, particularly the lack of access to civic education for young people from marginalised groups and the need for greater diversity among youth work professionals. Our main goal was to empower young people by establishing a peer-to-peer network in which they can gain experience, acquire skills and pass them on. In order to put this approach to participatory non-formal education on a broad footing, we prioritised the active participation of young people who are otherwise less likely to be reached by international youth work. They were involved not only as participants, but also as active co-creators and experts. The project included a series of international training sessions, joint digital meetings and annual conferences. Key results are:

  • First, we established the Ambassador Network, a stable and diverse group of committed young people who already have experience in international youth work and want to pass on this experience. Targeted training courses taught them important skills in the areas of critical solidarity-based cooperation, communication and Civic Education. Over the course of the programme, more than 140 young people have been trained to act as active multipliers for European democratic values and to serve as mentors in their local communities. As contact persons and role models, they bridge gaps in their local communities, promote a more inclusive culture in youth work and share their experiences through peer learning formats such as buddy group meetings.
  • Second, the participating youth work professionals collaborated with the Ambassadors to develop the Guide to Activism. This comprehensive online guide is an easily accessible, practical tool that empowers other young people to get involved in local or European issues. To ensure its relevance and accessibility, the guide was created with the direct involvement and feedback of the network members. In response to the emerging mental health crisis, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, both the guide and the training programme have been expanded to include resources and strategies for promoting young people’s well-being.

The project has successfully created lasting outcomes: We have built a sustainable network of skilled young professionals who are actively diversifying the field of youth work and influencing policy at both local and international levels. The Guide to Activism provides a tangible resource that will continue to support youth-led engagement, ensuring that the project’s impact endures.

Coordinator: Internationales Bildungs- und Begegnungswerk e.V. (Germany) | Project Partners: MTÜ Noored Toredate Mõtetega (Estonia) | Fundacja Borussia (Poland) | YouthCoop – Cooperativa para o Desenvolvimento e Cidadania CRL (Agualva-Cacém, Portugal) | Szubjektív Értékek Alapítvány (Hungary) | Ung i Kungsbacka (Sweden) , Associació Càlam – Art, Educació, Sostenibilitat (Spain) | Landeshauptstadt München, Pädagogisches Institut – Zentrum für Kommunales Bildungsmanagement (Germany) | Synergy of Music Theatre (Greece) | Stadt Bochum (Germany)

Generation Europe Methodenbox und Guidance Papers.

Network for Active European Citizenship

Strategic Partnership in Youth | 01 September 2018 – 31 May 2021

The project was developed from a key observation within our network: many young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities, often describe themselves as apolitical. However, we noticed that they readily engage with political topics when the issues directly affect their personal lives or local environment, and when they feel that their voices are being taken seriously. Based on this insight, the project followed three main objectives: to make democratic education more accessible, to equip youth work organisations with the right tools, and to build lasting connections between youth work practice and policy-making. The project’s activities were structured around creating three key outputs:

  • First, to bridge the gap between grassroots experience and policy-making, we developed the Generation Europe Guidance Papers. This was a collaborative process where regional advocacy groups conducted research, held discussions with local youth groups to identify their needs, and then entered into a dialogue with political representatives. The resulting papers provide concrete recommendations for action to improve the conditions for youth work on a political level.
  • Second, to support youth work on the ground, we created a practical Generation Europe Method Box. The network was mobilised to collect, adapt, and develop methods for promoting Active European Citizenship that are specifically designed to be approachable and accessible to diverse target groups. These methods have been tested and refined in actual youth projects to ensure their effectiveness.
  • Third, in cooperation with politik-digital e.V., we developed the Digital.D liquid democracy platform. This tool was implemented to foster communication and decision-making across our international partnerships. Its importance grew immensely during the Corona crisis, becoming a vital part of a new digital pedagogical concept that kept international collaboration alive in challanging times. For anyone interested, we have made the source code of Digital D available online.

Despite challenges during the pandemic, the project successfully achieved all its goals. We have created new strategies to support Active European Citizenship, provided tangible tools for youth workers, and established a strong, sustainable network that connects practitioners with policymakers. This ensures that the dialogue continues and that the conditions for accessible, impactful youth work will be improved in the long term.

Coordinator: Internationales Bildungs- und Begegnungswerk e.V. (Dortmund, Germany) |Project Partners: Koinoniki Synetairistiki Epichirisi Syllogikis Kai Koinonikis Ofeleias Eyforia (Greece) | politik-digital e.V. (Germany) | Szubjektív Értékek Alapítvány (Hungary) | Outward Bound România (Romania), MTÜ Noored Toredate Mõtetega (Estonia) | Centro di Creazione e Cultura (Italy) | GARE – Associação para a Promoção de uma Cultura de Segurança Rodoviária (Portugal) | Stiftung Europäische Jugendbildungs- und Jugendbegegnungsstätte Weimar (Germany) | FGU Roskilde (Denmark) | Associació Càlam – Art, Educació, Sostenibilitat (Spain) | Oulun Nuoret Kotkat Piirijärjestö ry (Finland) | Esplora (Italy)

The products of the cooperation partnerships and strategic partnerships were co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, the European Commission or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union, the European Commission nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.