European Youth Work Symposium 2024 & Youth Day – Network Partner Registration
Dear project partners, the time has come: You can now register for this year’s symposium! The deadline for your registration (with or without a stakeholder) is 15 July 2024. Please fill out the form now. Your organisation/local group can participate with:
- 1 Youth Work Professional (project manager or youth leader)
- 2 members of the local group (participant or ambassador)
- 1 local/regional/national stakeholder
The working language of the event is English, translation to German will be provided. If other translation is needed, please specify your access need in the registration.
Schedule & Travel Dates
- Saturday, 26.10.24: Arrival day for Youth Day participants and accompanying youth work professionals
- Sunday, 27.10.24: Youth Day (starting at 9:30 am) & parallel programme for the accompanying project managers/youth leaders
- Monday, 28.10.24: Symposium Day (programme until approx. 20:30 pm)
- Tuesday, 29.10.24: Departure day
You can register without already having a stakeholder, but please think about if there is someone you want to invite. You can inform us about the name and status of your stakeholder invitation in the respective field. Is it an just a plan/idea at the moment, did you already reach out to them, or do you already have feedback?
For more information please consult the email you got from Natascha and Marion with details about this registration.
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About the Symposium:
In many European countries, democracy is under pressure as authoritarian ideas gain strength. This creates serious challenges for young people, who are growing up in a changing and uncertain political landscape. But even in times of multiple crises, they have dreams and concerns they want to address. This makes youth work and participatory youth projects even more important – especially for those who are particularly affected by unequal opportunities.
While the importance of youth work is increasing, the working field itself is confronted with major challenges. Tighter budgets combined with massively rising costs and a lack of sustainable structures make it difficult to fulfil the growing tasks. The European Youth Work Symposium aims to bring together young people, youth work professionals and representatives from politics, administration and academia in a unique format of exchange. We involve everyone who is affected, especially the young people themselves. Our common goal: building bridges and breaking barriers in order to develop solutions to the problems youth work is currently facing.
Working groups:
- Stronger Together: Organizing Youth Work Professionals and Their Allies
Working conditions in youth work are often challenging: temporary and insufficient funding, overlap of professional and voluntary engagement, and inadequate recognition of youth work as a profession. How should European youth workers and their allies from politics and civil society network to make their voices heard? What collaborative organizations have already formed, what experiences have they had, and what are the next steps to strengthen the representation of their common interests? How do these needs relate to the demands of the involved youth? - Mind Matters: Promoting Well-Being in Youth Work
Early last year, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) declared a youth mental health crisis. On this side of the Atlantic, the numbers are equally clear: mental health is the most pressing health issue facing young people in Europe. What are the common challenges to the mental well-being of young people, and how can resilience be promoted within the youth work system? What support do youth work programs need to respond to these challenges? - Overcoming Barriers: Towards More Inclusive and Accessible Youth Work
Youth work should be equally accessible to everyone, regardless of personal circumstances, background, parents‘ income, and previous success in the formal education system. This diversity is not always guaranteed, especially in international programs. How can barriers be identified and pathways created to make youth work more accessible? What strategies are effective in promoting inclusion and diversity in youth work across various European contexts? How can organizations ensure they are accessible to young people from diverse backgrounds and with different needs—and what do youth work organizations and their staff need to achieve this? - Level Up: Strengthening Local Youth Work for European Collaboration
Impact research largely agrees that international youth projects have sustainable positive effects on the lives of young people and their social participation, particularly when integrated into stable local youth work structures. However, the importance of long-term sustainable local facilities is often overlooked in many funding programs. What steps are necessary to secure local youth work as a sustainable foundation? How can European collaboration between local youth projects be promoted on this basis to create new synergies? - Active Citizenship and Youth Activism: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Civic education, which enables active citizenship, is a declared goal of official European youth programs. At the same time, young people engaged in social, democratic, and environmental issues sometimes face institutional barriers. This working group offers a space for exchange between young activists and representatives from youth work, politics, and administration: How can misunderstandings be avoided and actual conflicts of interest be productively addressed? How can political education formats help prepare young people for these conflicts? What common goals do active young people and those who decide on the funding and structures of youth work have, and how can these goals be achieved?
To get an impression, take a look at last year’s symposium: Youth Work in Europe – Mission (Im)possible?