SAFE(R) SPACES – Youth Exchange on Inclusion, Wellbeing & Civic Participation

Who we are (Host / Applicant)
Arcigay Pegaso Catania is a community-based non-profit in Sicily (Italy). We run a community space and deliver youth-oriented activities focused on inclusion, safer environments, wellbeing, and anti-discrimination through non-formal education.

What we are looking for
We are looking for partner organisations from EU Programme Countries to join an Erasmus+ KA152 Youth Exchange hosted in Catania (Italy) in September 2026.
We welcome every kind of NGOs, like: youth organisations, NGOs, youth centres, schools/educational bodies (if eligible), or community initiatives working on inclusion, human rights, youth wellbeing, participation, media literacy, or anti-discrimination.

Key facts
- When: September 2026 (dates agreed with partners)
- Where: Catania, Sicily (Italy)
- Total duration: 10 days (8 activity days + travel days)
- Per partner group: 7 young participants (13–30) + 1 group leader (18+)
- Project team: 2 facilitators (overall)
- Method: non-formal education, youth-led & participatory learning, intercultural exchange

Theme & why it matters
Many young people across Europe experience discrimination, hate speech and exclusion—online and offline (schools, sports, public spaces). This affects wellbeing and reduces participation. The exchange will empower young people (including LGBTQIA+ youth and allies, but not only) to build practical skills to create safer spaces, strengthen resilience, and transform learning into civic micro-actions in their local communities.

Objectives
- Develop practical competences to create and maintain safer spaces (events, youth work settings, online communities).
- Strengthen wellbeing and resilience through peer-support tools and healthy coping strategies (non-clinical).
- Improve media & digital literacy to recognise stereotypes, hate speech and misinformation, and create positive counter-narratives.
- Increase youth participation by designing realistic local micro-actions after the exchange.
- Promote European values, intercultural dialogue and solidarity.

Main activities (8 activity days – outline)
- Team-building, intercultural learning & co-creating “Safer Space Rules”
- Workshops on stereotypes, discrimination and micro-aggressions (role-play, simulations)
- Wellbeing labs: peer support, boundaries, self-care/community care
- Digital lab: hate speech & misinformation + creating respectful counter-narratives (short content, zine/podcast, etc.)
- Civic participation lab: designing micro-actions to implement back home
- Daily reflections, Youthpass learning outcomes, final evaluation & dissemination plan

Outputs & follow-up
- Safer Spaces Toolkit (checklists, methods, code of conduct template, facilitation tips)
- Mini communication kit (messages, formats, do’s & don’ts for youth-friendly dissemination)
- Local micro-action in each partner country within ~2 months after the exchange (e.g., workshop, dialogue event, school/sport awareness session, online campaign)

Inclusion & safeguarding
We aim to include young people with fewer opportunities (economic, social, geographic, discrimination-related). A clear Code of Conduct, safer-space procedures and conflict management steps will be implemented. Each national group will have a dedicated contact person (group leader) for safeguarding and support.

What we expect from partners
- Recruit and prepare 7 participants (13–30) + 1 group leader (18+)
- Support learning reflection and Youthpass process
- Participate in online coordination meetings (before/after)
- Contribute to programme co-design (optional workshop contribution welcome)
- Ensure dissemination locally and implement the micro-action after return

To apply as a partner, please email us your Partner Identification Form (PIF) and a short description of your organisation’s relevant experience and role you would like to cover in the project. Please use the subject line: “SAFE(R) SPACES | Partner Application”.