Let's Participate! Training course on Youth Democracy Projects

Youth Democracy Projects aim at boosting young people’s involvement in the democratic process at local, regional and European level. The objective is to provide young people with ideas about and experiences of democracy, to spark new national and transnational networks and exchanges of good practice. Youth Democracy Projects improve young people’s understanding of how democracy works, helping them to make the most of their right to participate in the decision-making structures of a democratic society. Youth Democracy projects as part of the YOUTH IN ACTION Programme are an opportunity for young people (between the age of 13 and 30) and decision-makers to work together on a project of 3 to 18 months duration with other European partners. This training course provides you with an opportunity to learn about Youth Democracy Projects within the YOUTH IN ACTION Programme, explore the youth participation practice in Europe and find potential international partners for your Youth Democracy Project! The overall objective of the training course is to enable the participants to realise their own Youth Democracy Project by _ gaining knowledge of Youth Democracy Projects supported by the YOUTH IN ACTION Programme, particularly with regards to the funding mechanisms and the quality criteria _ developing an understanding about the principles of youth participation and share experiences with youth participation on the local, national and European level _ acquiring project management and communication competencies _ sharing best practice examples _ creating a space for contact making and networking and finding potential partners for Youth Democracy projects _ developing project ideas with potential international partners, explore further steps Participants of this training course should represent a non-profit organization, a local authority or an informal group of young people and should be motivated to apply for a Youth Democracy Project after having participated in this training course. They should live in any of the YOUTH IN ACTION programme countries (EU countries + Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Swiss, Turkey). They should be able to talk and work in English. The minimum age is 18.