Youth and Future Center – Adana

The Youth and Future Center – Adana project aims to create a sustainable and innovative model that empowers young people, women, and families from disadvantaged backgrounds, including migrant communities. The initiative addresses key urban challenges such as youth unemployment, early school leaving, family stress factors, and risks of crime or marginalization.

Overall Objectives
• To strengthen resilience and employability among young people through vocational training, digital skills, mentoring, and volunteering opportunities.
• To empower women by providing entrepreneurship support, legal counselling, psychosocial services, and capacity building.
• To provide families with guidance and resources, supporting parenting skills and social cohesion.
• To reduce risks of youth delinquency and violence while fostering civic engagement and active citizenship.
• To transfer and adapt proven EU methods from experienced partners in Spain, Romania, and Italy, creating a replicable model for Turkish municipalities.

Main Activities
• Youth Labs: Non-formal learning activities, digital and life skills training, employability workshops, mentoring and volunteering schemes.
• Women & Family Hub: Counselling services, psychological support, legal aid, entrepreneurship training, and self-help groups.
• Community Projects: Art, culture, sports, civic engagement projects designed and led by young people to enhance community solidarity.
• Capacity Building for Professionals: Staff training, job-shadowing, study visits, and the development of a joint evaluation and monitoring framework.
• Outputs: A “Youth & Future Center Toolkit” including training modules, guidelines for municipalities, and an impact measurement framework.

Target Groups
• Young people aged 15–29 (at least 200 direct participants).
• Women and parents (at least 150 direct beneficiaries).
• Local professionals working in youth, family, and social services (at least 60 trained staff).

Expected Results
• Improved employability, skills, and resilience among young people.
• Strengthened role of women in the economy and community life.
• Reduced risks of crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Enhanced family functioning and social cohesion in Adana.
• A replicable EU–Türkiye cooperation model for municipalities and NGOs.

Partnership
• Local coordination: Hanım Demirbaş (TR/DE).
• Local implementation: Municipality and civil society actors in Adana.
• International partners: Spain, Romania, Italy confirmed.
• Looking for additional partners with expertise in digital inclusion, monitoring & evaluation, and community engagement.