The project aims to create partnerships for creativity in the field of youth to streamline Creativity and Active European Citizenship (AEC), starting on a community level. We will reinforce the role of youth work in the construction of Europe and using methodologies focused on the development of young people through creativity and gamification. It will contribute to the development of their critical thinking connected to the right of young people to express their opinion on issues that concern them freely. We will focus on the creation of methods that encourage creativity, experimentation, and active participation locally, both online and on-site. It will include assessments of needs and acceptable practices, the usage of digital facilitation, and the creation of methods to develop the creativity and critical sense of young people. It will include a joint strategy with local authorities (municipalities, civil parishes and others) to streamline community spaces, engaging and connecting young people using Youth Work. We will create environments capable of increasing the creativity, resilience, and participation of youngsters, equipping them with tools and competencies to come up with creative and innovative solutions to unprecedented risks and societal change. We want to develop the expressiveness and creativity of young people and fight the fear of failure, fostering curiosity and active experimentation.At the same time, we want to empower Youth Workers, Leaders and Organisations to better engage youngsters using digital tools and platforms.The project is built on the foundation of the project «LINHA - Participação Juvenil em Comunidade Locais» that intended to make the voice of youth have space to be heard, through initiatives for the development of skills, awareness and consultation. The project focuses on the development of methodologies, competencies and pedagogical resources to empower community centres and NGOs in the post-COVID-19 crisis to plan and implement new strategies that can cope with similar crisis and social distancing using on-site and online dimensions.It involves a strategy of participation and continuous involvement of young people, inspired by the model of Stair of Participation Roger Hart, and the European Youth Strategy 2019 - 2027 “Involve, Connect, Empower”, with the principle of increasing the level of involvement of young people in space:1) DISSEMINATION - Complementing the outreach of the community space in online platforms, in schools and local organisations, promoting the development of creativity and social skills of young people and allowing them to participate in the development of activities and programmes.2) CONNECTION AND INFORMATION - The development of a methodology that fosters the engagement and active experimentation requires a presence of a Youth Worker at the site and online for the double purpose of testing the methodologies and fostering the relationship and integration of young people. It will include informal support, guidance, and information for young people in both online and on-site contexts.3) INTEREST – Implement an annual activity plan based on the developed methodologies and the themes that are attractive to young people and based on their needs. They should have a social, cultural and recreational objective, which will have as main objectives the creation of safe spaces for self-expression, active experimentation and connection of young people to the community space.4) ENGAGEMENT AND CONSULTATION - The promotion of regular activities, in the space related to the theme of youth participation and creativity, to empower and consult young people. It may include gamification strategies and activities that involve them as creators and volunteers, fostering experimentation, curiosity, the spirit of mutual help, belonging, citizenship and responsibility while reducing the fear of failure.5) ADVOCATING FOR YOUTH WORK - The development of a guide for Youth Work practices based on a collection and documentation of existing practices connected to community places and NGOs and the results of a consultation of local young people. The guide will support the project partners to innovate in the context of the remaining intellectual outputs and, at the same time, advocate for innovative youth work approaches and gather support for the implementation of the developed methodologies from local authorities, policymakers and social investors.6) ONLINE AND ON-SITE - Supporting youth workers and organisations to adapt to the post-COVID19 crisis through a MOOC aimed at developing digital competences and facilitation skills and develop community-based strategies and activities with online and offline dimensions.

"The strategic partnership in the frame of the project ""Strengthening the role of youth work in contesting dynamics of shrinking cities"" addressed the challenges related to shrinking phenomena and practices of youth work in shrinking cities of Europe. Accordingly, the project was focusing shrinking cities not only through the question of causes and consequences of shrinking but also through the mapping of good practices of youth work in the selected shrinking cities which contribute to the sustainable perspectives of the local youth. The project was initiated by youth organizations and organizations working for youth. The project team was comprised of eight partner organizations, having different yet complementary competence and experience to offer in the project. The consortium provided a broad knowledge and coverage of various subjects across different sectors related to the challenges of youth work in the shrinking cities. The overall objective of the project was to contribute to building of new strategies of social inclusion and civic engagement for youth residing in Europe’s “shrinking cities”. The more specific objectives of the project were: 1. To expand knowledge on the „shrinking cities” phenomena in the European context, with emphasis on successful youth work practices contesting their unfavorable social, economic and political dynamics; 2. To create and disseminate quality toolbox for youth workers working in shrinking cities based on the mapping and analysis of best practices in selected countries. To achieve the objectives mentioned above, the project implemented following activities: 1. Developing mapping methodology approach and conducting researches - a mapping methodology that comprehends the similarities and differences among EU countries and study of shrinking cities phenomenon in each of the selected countries along with best practice examples/cases of youth work contesting dynamics of shrinking cities. 2. Preparation of the toolkit „Youth-work in/for the shrinking cities” with methodological instructions for youth work based on the conducted survey. The additional aspect of the project was the dissemination of the project results through the multiplier events on the local level and through different communication channels including project results platform and Salto youth platform, mailing lists and social networks. The project created following results: 1.The project has strengthened capacities and competences of 8 partner organizations in the field of youth-work by generating innovative approaches and enhanced cooperation at transnational level. The project fostered mutual learning process among project partners and ensured exchange of expertise to maximize the impact of the work which ultimately enabled re-application and transfer of project outputs. 2. The project carried out a mapping methodology applicable in the transnational survey, disregarding national and local specific context of youth work and shrinking phenomena in different countries and regions of European Union. . 3. The project carried out mapping reports prepared in line with the commonly developed methodology containing analytical description of shrinking cities and related challenges in each of the selected countries; analytical description of best practice examples/cases of youth work contesting dynamics of shrinking cities. The delivered mapping reports have been published in the publication under title ""Strengthening the role of youth work in contesting dynamics of shrinking cities"" (ISBN 978-953-7872-19-9). Beside the English version, the publication is available also in Spanish language. 4. The project resulted in the creation of the toolkit “Youth-work in&for the shrinking cities” (ISBN 978-953-7872-12-0) which contains recommendations and methodological instructions for youth workers and educators. Beside the English version, the toolkit is made available also in Spanish, Portuguese, German and Croatian language. 5. The project provided a space for discussion about interrelation of shrinking and youth (work) in the frame of transnational project meetings and multiplier events, Thereby it can be said that the project could be considered as an important step towards a sustainable European network of youth workers working on challenges of shrinking cities at the community level6. The project contributed to the increasing of the awareness of the citizens about the challenges of shrinking in the transnational European context, but also about the existence of good practices of youth work that can contribute to the sustainable development of the shrinking cities and regions."

"<< Background >>The Strategic Partnership “Network for the active improvement of Youth Work” (NAIYW) takes place in the context of a 5 year-lasting programme called “Generation Europe: The Academy” (GenE:A). 45 European youth work organisations from 16 EU-countries work together in trilateral partnerships and in various working groups with the aim, to improve youth work structures and capabilities in Europe. One of the aims behind this is to support organisations to excite youths with fewer opportunities to become active on local and European level according to the concept of Critical Youth Citizenship.To support this, the official Partners of NAIYW will actively involve in and contribute to the Bonn-Process and make it feasible also for the associated partners for their work on local level. The aim is to connect local and European youth work by supporting local structures. This will be done, among other activities, by collecting best practices, by working on strategies for lobby and advocacy work, by training professionals, and by disseminating the results. Further, the inter-level-connection will be strengthened by finding a common language for ""non-formal civic education'', inventing and improving participatory methodology for diverse target groups, and connecting local youth work with European strategy instruments.NAIYW systematically builds on the results of the project ""Network for Active European Citizenship” (NAEC, 2018-2-DE04-KA205-016959), thus making this project even more sustainable. The experiences gained there and especially the developed products ""Guidance Papers'' and ""Methodbox'' are the starting point for NAIYW.Based on research, the Guidance Papers describe the conditions and needs of youth and youth policy in the countries of the (associated) partners of NAEC. During the process the network realized that youth work organisations are often not used to doing advocacy and lobbying for their needs and for the field of youth work in general. However, this is necessary for recognition of youth work and youth work organisations as well as for real improvement in the field.Further, the Guidance Papers identified the following shortcomings of youth work and in youth policy:- a lack of structured and long term youth work in the local communities and therefore a lack of networking in the european youth work- a lack of support from policy makers to the youth sector- lack of support for the youth work organisations during and in the aftermath of the covid-19-pandeminc on several levels (mental health, economic, guidelines how to start again, pedagogical level...)- lack of representation of the sector youth work on a local and international level- lack of exchange/share of experience and best practice of lobbying for the youth sectors.Additionally, the work over the Methodbox revealed the following needs in local and european activities in the field of non- formal education:- lack of appropriate tools and methods for value-based education in terms of Critical Youth Citizenship (CYC),- lack of understanding of participatory and inclusive pedagogical approaches by local youth workers.All activities of NAIYW are dedicated to address the above-mentioned needs and to develop new strategies on how to deal with them.Task Forces (Professionals from the 11 project partners who are in the same time being active in the network of GenE:A) will work on the aims in the frame of the project for and with the associated partners in the network GenE:A. Further they will open results up to the community of practice (COP) (including the fields of science and political and institutional levels) beyond the concrete network.<< Objectives >>The Network for the Active Improvement of Youth Work (NAIYW) takes place in the frame of a 5 years lasting programme called Generation Europe: The Academy (GenE:A). During GenE:A, 45 European youth work organisations from 16 EU-countries work together in trilateral partnerships and in various working groups (for example, Generation Europe: The Ambassadors, 2020-3-DE04-KA205-02058) with the aim to support the inclusion of all young persons and especially of those with fewer opportunities in activities of international youth work, explicitly in international projects that work on the topics of Critical Youth Citizenship (CYC) and European values. Moreover, GenE:A aims to provide inclusive and qualitative non-formal civic education for youth with fewer opportunities. The way to achieve this is to stimulate a European exchange with young people about European values, solidarity and CYC. Thus, GenE:A is coherent with the EU Youth Strategy and supports the implementation of its core ideas and objectives. Eventually, GenE:A aims for quality development of youth work, professional development of youth workers, as well as for strengthening international youth work and its recognition.More specifically, NAIYW sets as main objectives of its work (also in line with the national priority set by the National Agency in Germany) to be committed to recognition, innovation and development of the youth sector in a qualitative way in this post-pandemic period and to support and implement the EYWA (European Youth Work Agenda) as well as the Bonn Process on different levels.In particular, this strategic partnership with its implementation and with the development of the project results (see section below), will achieve to ensure the connection of local and European youth work and a long term support for youth work, on three main dimensions (these main aims will be specified in the project description):InclusionNAIYW will allow the exchange and support of the professional multi-level experiences (educators, youth workers, psychologist, sociologists), within the official and associated partners and indirectly within their local and national community. The dialogue is directly connected to the needs of the community of practice and the direct experiences from different European local communities. This also ensures that the needs of youth work organisations and young people are heard and further solved.Recognition of youth work on a local, national and European levelNAIYW will contribute to the increase and development of youth work by supporting the Community of Practice in its dialogue with stakeholders, coordinating actions, and motivating to bring youth work to the political level through strategic advocacy or lobbying. By training the associated partners, they are encouraged to work for the improvement of youth work conditions at local, national and European level. Moreover, NAIYW will inspire the associated partners and indirectly their local and national community to get involved in the EYWA / Bonn Process in a strategic way and as a common European Process. Lastly, NAIYW will promote non-formal European civic education activities and their value for supporting democratic culture on local, national and European level.Development of youth work qualityNAIYW will provide long term instruments to maintain and guarantee the quality of youth work at the local, national and European level, will contribute to the international dialogue on non-formal civic education and stress its role in democratic societies. Further, it will support with practical know-how the activities with the target group in order to improve and develop the local work. Eventually, NAIYW will develop a concept on non-formal european civic education to be used within the youth work of the associated partners and to be used as an experiential document in the international dialogue on non-formal activities about CYC and “Politische Bildung''.<< Implementation >>To achieve the goals, many activities are building the project structure. They can be summarised as follows:Preparatory activitiesThe implementation of an in-depth survey to better understand the status quo and the needs of the project partners and the associated partners will be carried out in the very beginning of NAIYW. The Survey will build on the recommendations described in the Guidance Papers and also on the learnings from developing the Methodbox. The survey is a starting point to adjust all further project activities and the concrete project results.Project management and monitoring activitiesSeven Transnational Meetings will be organised. Most meetings will take place within the Task Forces. During the meetings, the project partners will focus on project management within their defined area of responsibility. Beyond these meetings, the detailed plans are regularly brought together: Transnational meetings in which all task forces (being built with members from all project partners) come together for general decision-making, monitoring and planning steps of the overall NAIYW project. In addition, there were and will be numerous other digital or presence meetings financed by other sources within the task forces (see Management section).Feedback loops and other activities with the associated partners from the GenE:A networkHere the annual 5-day GenE conferences and interface activities with the young professionals from the Ambassador Network (2020-3-DE04-KA205-020581) and the associated competence group shall be mentioned. Also we will evolve and include feedback from early Pilot Workshops and Trainings to strengthen the concepts for the LTTAs.Communication with the youth work world outside the GenE:A networkActive involvement in conferences, meetings, political events and committees especially on the Bonn Process (all funded from other sources) is planned.Learning, Teaching and Training Activities.Trainings: Building up on the Methodbox as a concrete result of 2018-2-DE04-KA205-016959, a Task Force will develop and execute two seven days lasting training sessions for project partners and associated partners. Methods and tools for non-formal civic and value-based education will be collected, adapted and often developed completely new. The training will enable the participants to initiate, implement and exchange context- and needs-based solutions in youth work, to facilitate educational activities for youth with fewer opportunities based on principles of CYC.Workshops: A concrete result of NAIYW will be a manual for advocacy and lobby work in youth work. A corresponding series of four workshops will be developed and offered as LTTA within the framework of NAIYW. Later, the workshop concept and the manual will be published and offered as part of NAIYW's dissemination strategy (see below).Multiplier Events (MEs)A series of MEs will take the project results far beyond the circle of official and associated partners and reach the larger COP. One project partner from each project country will organise an ME. Target groups are professional youth workers from other organisations in the region. Additionally, there will be MEs organised by the coordinating organisation IBB. They will be in an international context, inviting international representatives of the COP.Activities in the Field of Youth PolicyTogether with the connected project GenE:A the strategic partnership implements further activities (funded by other sources) to engage in a constructive, empathetic, and versed way with the power of all (associated) partners in the Bonn Process and to motivate the associated partners of the GenE:A Network to engage as well.<< Results >>During its 23 months, NAIYW will reach different results to address current needs of European youth work (see section above).NAIYW will create three concrete products, along the lines of the objectives of the Bonn Process: ensuring a long term support for the youth work on professional level, giving long term instruments to ensure the quality of youth work and promoting the recognition of the youth work on local, national and european level.The products will be created with the support of the associated partners and youths. There will be a constant exchange within the official partners, associated partners and youths to assure the inclusion of their perspectives. This cooperation will strengthen the quality of the final products.Collection of Booklets on participation and inclusionThe five booklets will focus on: supporting the motivation and engagements of local groups in civic education and in the participatory process, making the local youth work inclusive and connected with European values and activities, creating long term and strategic structures for youth work and supporting mental health practice in uncertain post pandemic times. At the end of the project, these booklets will be gathered in one collection. The collection will be a support and source for the community of practice in order to help them in their work on European non- formal civic education on different levels. Moreover, the collection will support the work on a local level with methods and practices. This product will bring structure to the community of youth work, will develop and innovate the quality of its work.Paper on civic educationThis paper will be the result of research, discussion and exchange within the groups of official and associated partners and also external experts about existing concepts of non-formal civic education in Europe. The paper on civic education aims to connect European values with non-formal activities. It will be the basis for the methodology of the booklets and for the associated partner’s activities with the target group. Moreover, it will be used to promote non-formal European education activities and their value, to support democratic culture in local communities and on national and European level. Manual for lobbying in Youth WorkThe Manual shows a strategic process that youth work organisations can follow to make advocacy for their own work (mostly on local level) and for youth work policy on European level, in a network of practice. Moreover, it shows how to lobby for concrete changes in local communities: giving advice on how to implement the European Youth Work Agenda on a local level, giving advice on how to connect with existing networks and structures on a European level and mapping a European Stakeholder-Schema. Additionally, a series of workshops for the associated partners is going to be developed in a parallel process of mutual adjustment loops.NAIYW also expects through the training to make projects on CYC accessible and attractive for diverse target groups. With its associated partners, NAIYW integrates substantially different youth work organisations and thus holds great potential for the professional exchange about how to make non-formal civic education more inclusive. NAIYW will include policy makers from different political levels to promote the dialogue between them and youth work organisations: we expect to raise the interest in supporting further projects in the regions to become an active part of a European network that works on a common strategy.Eventually, by the combination of the GenE:A and the strategic partnership we aim to improve the accessibility of international projects in the field of CYC for youths with fewer opportunities."

Context:“Generation Europe: The Ambassadors” takes place in the context of the 5 year-long programme Generation Europe 2 (GenE2). 45 European youth work organisations based in 13 European countries are going to work together in trilateral partnerships with the aim, to excite youths with fewer opportunities, to become active on local and European level. The main topic of Gen2E is Critical Youth Citizenship (CYC) and European values.Participants:The project will directly involve two types of participants. We will have GenE Ambassadors (Young professionals) and experienced professionals in the field of youth work. Also, young participants from the local group will indirectly be involved via the Ambassadors. Finally, youth work organisations and stakeholders (see above) as well as policy makers will be reached by the project. The ambassadors are young people between 18 and 30 who already have experience in international exchange and non-formal education as participants. They are the representatives of their local peers and thus also the mouthpiece of the wishes and demands of the young generation. The long-term-professionals are professionals, experienced in the field of professional youth work and/or group leaders with a pedagogical background. They are project managers and / or group leaders of local youth groups and the mentors for the ambassadors and are accompanying them in their individual process.Objectives“Generation Europe: The Ambassadors” aims to strengthen diversity and inclusion in international youth work. The future professionals are going to come from more diverse backgrounds in contrast to the current image of youth work professionals, being often white, female and with an academic education. In order to reach diverse youths and heterogeneous groups, the next professionals should have a more diverse background themselves. The Ambassadors will be mentors and role models and inspire new young people to take part in activities of European youth work. This will make international youth work more accessible for disadvantaged youths on the participation as well as on the professional level with the help of the developed p2p concept and handbook. Another objective is to create with young professionals and the youths a concept to empower young Europeans to become Critical Youth Citizens on local and European level. Ambassadors are creating a sustainable process of involving and exciting more than 800 youths from diverse target groups and marginalized groups for civic engagement. ActivitiesThe Ambassadors will attend three training and teaching activities, in which they will acquire and develop basic skills and key competences of non-formal political education for diverse target groups. They will be introduced to methods and activities to excite young people for CYC. adapt existing methods and later create new ones where necessary for their purpose (Handbook on activism) based on their experience as former participants and their experience from working with the local groups. further thematic priorities of these activities involve human rights, democracy, education, employment, sustainability, and climate change. Another key point are the frequent transnational meetings, in which they meet to organise the steps necessary for the creation of the intellectual outputs. Beyond that various multiplier events will be implemented where all partners and associated partners in the involved countries come together, invite stakeholders and youth organisations and the Ambassadors present the Activism handbook and the p2p conceptResultsAs tools to inspire youths the Ambassador Network creates a peer education strategy and a product, the “Activism Handbook”. During this project but also end especially during the two years after this project, the Ambassadors will work with the p2p concept and the handbook with the young participants from European communities. Those young participants will develop in the process skills and competences connected with Critical Citizenship on local and European level. The project will have an impact on multiple levels. It aims to strengthen diversity and inclusion in international youth work. In addition to structural changes, the reality in youth organisations must also change. Addressing them is therefore essential for success. Dissemination towards youth organisations inspires them to follow the positive example of the SP and to integrate people from different backgrounds at participant and staff level. Stakeholders in this project are politicians, foundations, universities, and think tanks. The SP is aiming for change and starts an innovative new approach involving diverse target groups. Politicians on local, national and European level are addressed, to inform them about the needs of European youth work and provide them ideas on how to support the process of diversification.