Capacity Building "Youth Participation Incubator"

Are you a youth leader or youth worker committed to becoming an agent of change in your local community and beyond? Are you interested in learning more about what quality youth participation means and how you can embed it in your organisational life or the new projects that you plan? Do you want to better explore the opportunities of the EU Youth Programmes (E+ & ESC)? Then “Youth Participation Incubator" is the programme for you!

Youth participation in democratic life and young people's active civic engagement are high priorities of the EU Youth Strategy and are incorporated into the majority of contemporary youth policy frameworks in different European countries.

The Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps Programmes are mechanisms to put the EU Youth Strategy into practice and provide many opportunities for young people to develop international projects, which empower them to take an active role in society and help them to develop civic and social competences.

In this context, the capacity building activity “Youth Participation Incubator” brings together 25 youth leaders and youth workers from different European countries with an aim to improve their understanding and practices toward quality youth participation. This is also an opportunity to learn more about the possibilities within the EU Youth Programmes and how to ensure youth participation priority is properly implemented in all stages of a project.

The activity will take place in Rome, Italy, between 21-25 November 2022.

The call is open for youth leaders and youth workers who fit the following criteria:

• Experienced representatives of youth organisations or informal groups of young people
• Have at least one year of experience in a local/national/European organisation or youth group
• Representatives of organisations who have Erasmus+ accreditation or ESC quality label, or organisations which have in plan to get accreditation/quality label (not mandatory)
• Are interested in developing projects within the EU Youth Programmes framework (no prior experience is required)
• Are interested in developing/improving participatory approaches in their youth organisation/group
• Are capable of communicating effectively in English
• Are at least 18 years old.

The four-day programme of activities will consist of:

• Thematic inputs and exercises on the topic of youth participation and participatory approaches in the youth sector 
• Thematic sessions exploring the possibilities within the EU Youth Programmes
• Opportunities to share and exchange about the internal participatory practices - struggles and success stories
• Spaces to discover new resources and tools for youth participation
• Spaces to build partnerships and new cooperations.

Before the activity in Italy, the participants have a chance to connect and learn about each other during a first initial meeting (mandatory for all selected participants).

The capacity building activity “Youth Participation Incubator" is part of the strategic partnership New Power in Youth (NPiY), between several Erasmus+ National Agencies in the field of youth and SALTO Resource Centres.

Other NAs are welcome to send participants to this activity, even if they are not part of the NPiY SNAC.