TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Ilias Giannopoulos
The Trainers’ Forum 2026 aimed to create a European peer-learning and strategic dialogue space for youth work trainers. It focused on exploring emerging trends and signals in the youth work training field, strengthening the trainer community, sharing practices, and opening dialogue between trainers, institutions and stakeholders. The activity addressed the need for stronger recognition of trainers, better working conditions, professional development, quality standards, and a clearer collective voice towards future European youth programmes. It also supported the goals of the International Youth Work Trainers Guild by creating a community-driven space “for trainers, by trainers”, connecting Guild members and non-members, and identifying possible follow-up actions for the field.
The activity brought together around 50 international youth work trainers and stakeholders from across Europe and neighbouring regions. The group included approximately 30 members of the International Youth Work Trainers Guild and around 20 trainers from outside the Guild, creating a mix of experienced, mid-career and newer trainers. The Forum also involved invited stakeholders from European-level institutions, networks and research structures, including SALTO Resource Centres, RAY Network and youth work advocacy actors. The facilitation team was international and included Ilias Giannopoulos, Sabrina Apitz, Jan Lai and Vitalii Volodchenko, all connected to the International Youth Work Trainers Guild.
The Forum used non-formal learning and participatory facilitation methods throughout the programme. Methods included community mapping of trends and signals, panel dialogue, stakeholder input, visioning processes, open-space methodology, small-group dialogue labs, community roundtables, peer-learning formats, reflection moments, and action-oriented strategic labs. The Bazaar of Practices allowed trainers to share concrete tools, methods, games, platforms and resources through hosted practice experiences and open stands. The Dialogue Labs used small-group conversations with stakeholders, supported by Padlet harvesting. The final Open Space / “Time to Act: The Future We Want” invited participants to propose topics, form self-organised working groups and move towards concrete next steps.
The activity created a shared understanding of key trends and signals affecting youth work training in Europe, including artificial intelligence, trainer recognition, professional standards, changing realities of young people, resilience in political uncertainty, and evolving educational approaches. Participants exchanged methods and resources through the Bazaar of Practices, engaged directly with stakeholders through Dialogue Labs, and explored community priorities through roundtables. The Forum also produced concrete follow-up directions through action-oriented working groups, including topics such as trainer recognition, working conditions, the role of trainers in future European youth programmes, wellbeing, AI and the development of the trainer community. The activity strengthened connections between trainers and created a clearer basis for future Guild-supported initiatives and community-led follow-up.
The activity created a shared understanding of key trends and signals affecting youth work training in Europe, including artificial intelligence, trainer recognition, professional standards, changing realities of young people, resilience in political uncertainty, and evolving educational approaches. Participants exchanged methods and resources through the Bazaar of Practices, engaged directly with stakeholders through Dialogue Labs, and explored community priorities through roundtables. The Forum also produced concrete follow-up directions through action-oriented working groups, including topics such as trainer recognition, working conditions, the role of trainers in future European youth programmes, wellbeing, AI and the development of the trainer community. The activity strengthened connections between trainers and created a clearer basis for future Guild-supported initiatives and community-led follow-up.