Europe as a Resource for Local Youth Work 2026

The Seminar "Europe as a Resource for Local Youth Work" brought together 22 participants from 15 European countries to explore how European cooperation, policies, programmes, peer exchange, and funding opportunities can support quality youth work at local level.

The seminar was a joint activity of the Growing Youth Work and Europe Goes Local partnerships, two Strategic Cooperation Projects of the Network of National Agencies for the EU youth programmes. It provided participants with the opportunity to connect European resources with concrete local challenges and to explore practical ways of strengthening youth work in their municipalities, organisations, and local communities.

Key Facts

Details

Place and date: 29 September - 2 October 2026, Tallinn, Estonia
Number of participants: 22 participants from 15 countries

Profile of participants

Representatives of municipalities and local authorities involved in youth work development;
Representatives of local public institutions working with young people;
Representatives of youth organisations and independent organisations active in youth work;
Other stakeholders engaged in the development, coordination, and support of local youth work;
Practitioners and decision-makers interested in strengthening the quality and European dimension of local youth work.

Methodology

The seminar used non-formal education methods and created extensive opportunities for reflection, peer learning, networking, structured dialogue, and practical exploration of European resources. Participants reflected on challenges and opportunities in their local youth work systems, exchanged experiences with colleagues from different countries, and explored how European frameworks and programmes could support local development processes.

The programme combined individual reflection, small-group work, peer exchange, policy-to-practice exercises, partnership matching, practical inputs, and the exploration of tools and materials supporting local youth work development. Particular emphasis was placed on connecting European resources with concrete local realities and identifying realistic actions that participants could initiate following the seminar.

Key takeaways

Participants left the seminar with:

a clearer understanding of how European resources can support local youth work
new contacts for further cooperation
concrete action steps that can be started after the seminar

Some examples of the developed practical action steps:

Analysis of the needs of local youth and needs-based and co-designed new youth work offers
Development of local strategies for youth involvement
Preparation of applications in different Erasmus+ youth formats, e.g. youth participation projects, small-scale partnerships
Creation of local networks among youth work organisations, schools, and municipality
Data-based analysis and conceptual development of how youth centres can become modern, 21^st century youth centres
Strengthening information about opportunities for young people and increasing outreach
Development of specific offers for young adults and “older” target groups
Organisation of regular dialogues for young people and decision makers
Research of best practice models to strengthen sustainable youth centres in different European countries
Development of monthly mobile youth work sessions in a rural areas

Aims of the Seminar

The seminar aimed to:

to support a shared understanding of quality youth work and its practical meaning at local level;
to identify local realities and barriers that affect the quality, accessibility, and continuity of youth work;
to introduce the European political context, including the EU Youth Strategy and especially the European Youth Work Agenda and Charter on Local Youth Work;
to explore how European policy and frameworks can support local and regional youth work development;
to showcase how funding, opportunities and support at European level can benefit practice, incl. Erasmus+ Youth, the European Solidarity Corps, as well as advisory, information, networking, and training opportunities offered through National Agencies and SALTO-Youth Resource Centres;
to support participants in connecting local needs with possible European resources, partners, and funding routes;
to strengthen participants’ ability to make the case for youth work and explain proposed improvements to colleagues, managers, local authorities, and other stakeholders;
to support participants in defining realistic commitments and first steps for the period after the seminar.

Inspired?

This seminar will happen regularly – the next edition is planned for 2027 in Croatia. Follow the channels of Europe Goes Local (Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn) and Growing Youth Work channels (Facebook, Instagram) and don’t miss this opportunity!

Further information

The explored context covered Growing Youth Work and the European Youth Work Agenda, Europe Goes Local, the European Charter on Local Youth Work and the EGL Youth Work Development Toolkit.