Working with Queer Youth

Across Europe and beyond, LGBTQAI+ communities are facing increasing political pressure, shrinking civic space, and rising polarisation. These developments directly affect queer young people and the organisations and youth workers supporting them. In this context, youth work is not only a space for support and belonging, but also a site of resistance, community building, and democratic engagement.

Experienced LGBTQAI+ youth workers and organisations have developed a wide range of practices – from creating brave and inclusive spaces while fostering community resilience, to implementing participatory and democratic education approaches. At the same time, many of these practices are closely connected to queer feminist and grassroots activist traditions, often without being explicitly recognised or articulated within youth work frameworks.

This training course aims to create a space for experienced practitioners to come together, exchange and deepen their practices, and critically reflect on the role of queer youth work in today’s geopolitical context. Through inspirational inputs, study visits, and peer-learning processes, participants will explore how to strengthen their work, build meaningful connections, and respond to the evolving realities faced by queer young people and communities. In this call we aim for a group of approximately 20 participants.

Target group

• Youth workers, trainers, facilitators, and educators with prior experience working with LGBTQAI+ young people and/ or communities;
• Representatives of LGBTQAI+ organisations, youth organisations or initiatives;
• Practitioners interested in deepening their work through critical reflection, exchange, and collaboration;
• Participants who are willing to engage with political, social, and activist dimensions of youth work.

Requirements:

• 18 years of age and above
• Ability to work in English
• Prior experience in LGBTQAI+ youth work is expected as we won’t go into/ through basics

Objectives:

• To exchange and deepen existing LGBTQAI+ youth work practices;
• To explore and critically reflect on those practices;
• To strengthen connections between youth work and queer feminist and activist practices and explore ways those could support each other;
• To analyse current geopolitical developments and their impact on queer youth;
• To support participants in adapting and evolving their practices in response to these challenges;
• To create opportunities for networking, partnership-building, and future collaboration for the benefit of queer youth

At the end of the training, participants will:

• Have expanded their repertoire of practices for working with LGBTQAI+ young people.
• Be able to critically reflect on and articulate their own youth work approaches.
• Have a deeper understanding of how queer feminist and activist practices can inform youth work.
• Be better equipped to respond to current social and political challenges affecting queer communities.

Methodology and approach

The training is based on non-formal education and experiential learning, with a strong emphasis on peer exchange, collective reflection, and co-creation of knowledge.

The programme will include:

• Inspirational sessions and practice-sharing by participants
• (Study) Visits to (/from) local initiatives and organisations
• Facilitated reflection spaces connecting practice with theory
• Networking and partnership-building moments

A queer feminist perspective will be used as a cross-cutting approach, supporting participants to analyse power structures, intersectionality, and the relationship between youth work and activism. The training will intentionally create brave spaces where participants can engage critically, share experiences, and challenge existing practices.

Outline of the activity:

• Arrival day 26th of October
• Activity days 27-29th of October
• Departure day 30th of October