Evidence To Action: Empowering Communities Through Planet Youth

This four-day training course supports youth workers and practitioners to turn evidence into action, responding to pressing health and wellbeing challenges identified through the Planet Youth model. Taking place in Tipperary, Ireland—where Planet Youth has recently completed its first year and is now moving from live data collection to implementing community-based responses—the programme offers a dynamic space for participants to explore emerging youth needs, exchange innovative solutions, and build long-term partnerships across sectors and countries. The course focuses on equipping participants to use data as a driver for change, strengthening their capacity to create healthier, more resilient communities

The programme will respond to a number of themes identified in the Tipperary County Planet Youth Report:

• Early Alcohol Initiation
• Vaping Access and Normalisation
• Lack of Recognition of Harm (alcohol and substance use)
• Role Models and Community Leadership in Sports
• Mental Health, Sleep, and Screen Time

Objectives of the Training Course

• To critically explore the Planet Youth data in the context of these five themes, and to identify community-based and youth work interventions that can address them.
• To equip youth workers with tools to work collaboratively with schools, families, and community leaders (especially in sport) to challenge norms and foster resilience.
• To share and learn from effective, evidence-informed practices from across Ireland and Europe.
• To include young people and school representatives in co-creating next steps, ensuring solutions are relevant, realistic, and empowering.
• To initiate Erasmus+ and cross-national collaborations focused on health and wellbeing in youth work.

Key Content Areas (Framed Around the Five Priorities)

Priority

Project Focus

1. Early Alcohol Initiation

Interventions that reshape parental norms; peer-led campaigns; family education tools

2. Vaping Access & Normalisation

Policy education; youth advocacy training; enforcement collaboration workshops

3. Lack of Harm Recognition

Storytelling and media strategies; youth-led evidence campaigns; myth-busting tools

4. Role Models in Sports

Coach training models; club-based prevention programmes; positive mentorship development

5. Mental Health, Sleep & Screen Time

Sleep hygiene education; digital balance workshops; mental health literacy tools for schools & parents

Structure & Methodology

The programme includes:

• One full conference days (19th November) featuring national and international speakers, panels, and workshops addressing each of the five priority areas.
• Interactive workshops and labs led by youth workers, researchers, coaches, educators, and youth themselves.
• Study visits to community initiatives in Tipperary using Planet Youth data in practice.
• Reflective practice through Youth pass and small group processing.
• The methodology follows non-formal education principles: active participation, co-creation, peer learning, and applied problem-solving.

Target Group

• Youth workers and youth project coordinators
• Educators, health promoters, and community workers
• Social Work and Social Care Professionals
• Sport and club development officers
• Organisations interested in prevention, resilience, and cross-sector collaboration
• Stakeholders active in or inspired by the Planet Youth model

Priority will be given to:

• Organisations addressing substance use, mental health, and digital wellbeing
• Participants from rural or underserved communities
• Applicants seeking Erasmus+ partnerships for future collaboration

Expected Outcomes

• Participants will return home with tailored, practical solutions ready to test or adapt.
• Enhanced capacity to work across systems (school, family, sport, policy).
• Strengthened partnerships—nationally and across Europe—for future Erasmus+ projects.
• A shared commitment to creating health-promoting communities informed by evidence.