EaT SNAC Agora – Anchoring quality education & training of youth workers

Join the vibrant community hub! ‘EaT SNAC Agora – Anchoring quality education & training of youth workers’ focuses on systemic impact on education and training of youth workers at national and European level. It identifies how to strengthen spaces for synergies, cooperation, and joint reflection on youth work at the European level using the EU Youth programmes for better quality at all levels.

The Strategic Cooperation of National Agencies on Education and Training of Youth Workers (EaT SNAC), active since 2022, aims at reaching systemic impact on education and training of youth workers by recognising their competences and learning experiences. Current topics in EaT SNAC are the European dimension in education & training youth workers, civic/political education and training and its contemporary challenges, reflective practice, and the development of professional identity of youth workers. EaT SNAC focuses on establishing clear links in systems with the development of recognition and validation mechanisms and tools at the national and European levels. The National Agencies for Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps that compose the steering group of the EaT SNAC are Belgium-Flanders, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, and Latvia, as well as the SALTO Training and Cooperation Resource Centre (SALTO T&C RC).

The ‘EaT SNAC Agora  – Anchoring quality education & training of youth workers’ will take place on 4-7 November 2024 in Jurmala, Latvia and it is for you if:

• You participate in youth worker education and training as a lecturer, professor, trainer, in any other role,
• You participate in developing education and training strategies and interested in discussing them at European – international environment,
• You are ready to question your own and the practice in education and training of youth workers of your organisation/institution,
• You are ready to contribute to shaping the Eat SNAC platform for cross-sectorial learning and action in community,
• You are willing to contribute to systemic change  in the further development of quality youth worker education and training.

The event will bring together up to 100 participants from formal and non-formal sectors of education and training of youth workers. The profile of participants includes academics, professors, educators, trainers, experts as well as representatives of National Agencies of Erasmus+ (youth, education, and training) and the European Solidarity Corps.

The target groups are:

• Professionals with experience in training and education of youth workers,
• Stakeholders who are active in representing and advocating interests of youth workers especially concerning education and training dimension,
• Professionals with context, capacity or means to bring a systemic impact on education and training of youth workers, 
• National Agencies’ officers responsible for implementing national processes of EaT SNAC, and
• Policy makers who are involved in shaping training and education of youth workers.

The overall intention of the EaT SNAC Agora is:

Bringing together stakeholders from the non-formal and formal education sector to discuss and develop further topics of recognition and validation, political dimension of youth work, professional identity, and European youth work as a subject of teaching and training in education and training of youth workers based on the different strategic developments in the involved countries and the recent activities of the EaT SNAC. Education and training of youth workers are different in each country due to traditions, systems, and current political challenges. The exchange about the differences and similarities, peer learning and further inspiration are crucial to the event.

In EaT SNAC a platform will be created which functions as a community hub and space where anybody who joins can find resources, places for community exchange, space to push further the key topics and thematics! And this will be the kick-off!

In depth the intentions of the conference are:

• What are individual and common needs and core questions in education and training of youth workers in the different countries that can benefit from international learning?
• What does professional identity in youth work mean in different contexts across countries? What are the commonalities? How do you continue reflecting on it? How can you teach professional identity formation? How do students develop a professional identity in youth work?
• Connected to geopolitical and societal challenges, youth workers need to develop resilience and a strong identity with strong transversal competences: How do/can you address these topics in your practice and with students/participants?
• Cooperation between non-formal and formal education is seen as a crucial aspect for future development: How can this be stimulated and what are ways of collaboration?
• Contribute to the action plan for EaT SNAC to further create a bridge between non-formal and formal education and the practice field in European youth work (setting up theoretical background, appropriate curriculum development, enriching cross sectoral cooperation): What is our common interest and what is your individual interest? What can be your possible contribution? What do you expect from the EaT SNAC?

Desired outcomes by organisers:

Development of a platform for cross-sectorial learning and community action. This platform will serve as a hub and space for resources, best practices, and networking opportunities to foster continuous learning and joint actions while also serving a platform for strengthening cooperation between youth work educators.

• Present and agree about EaT SNAC action plan. This plan should outline a sharp vision for the future, detailing strategic objectives, key initiatives, and measurable goals.
• Inspirational questions for individual reflection. These questions should encourage deeper thinking about professional growth, the role of education and training in societal change, and how individuals can contribute to and benefit from the cross-sectorial community.

Metodology

The EaT SNAC Agora will be an interactive and dynamic space, which will focus on taking stock of the reflective practice and current challenges in education and training of youth workers. The event is embedded in the long-term process of EaT SNAC – steered by the National Agencies partners plus SALTO T&C RC with the intention to develop further and include more actors.

The topic of education and training of youth workers is one of the crucial areas of reflections and discussions amongst stakeholders in the timeline between the European Academy of Youth Work and the 4th Convention of Youth Work. 

The event will include, among other elements, input and reflection of the participants, creative learning process and discussions on core and burning topics such as professional identity, political dimension, European youth work, recognition, and validation. An environment will be created to reflect on different practices along with colleagues who have the responsibility to move the education and training of youth workers forward. You will be invited to engage actively and plan through the preparation activities in September and October 2024, in accordance to your availability. More information will be provided upon the selection of the participants.