Open call: International Project Lab – Youth Participation Projects, Bucharest, Romania

The International Project Lab “New Power in Youth” is a complete programme combining online sessions and a residential event that aims to support the quality development of Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps projects focused on youth participation. It will take place between 19-24 June 2023, in Bucharest, Romania. Applications are open until 19 April 2023.

General context of the Project Lab

Youth participation in democratic life and young people’s active civic engagement are high priorities of the EU youth strategy and incorporated into the majority of contemporary youth policy frameworks in different European countries.

The Erasmus+ Programme & European Solidarity Corps are a mechanism to put the EU Youth Strategy into practice and provides many opportunities for young people to develop international projects, which empower them to take an active role in society and help them to develop civic and social competences.

In this context, the Project Lab “New Power in Youth” brings together 30 youth leaders & youth workers from different European countries to learn about the possibilities within the Erasmus+ Programme (E+), namely Youth Exchanges and Youth Participation Activities, as well as European Solidarity Corps (ESC) local projects.

The main objectives of the Lab are

• support the quality development of E+ & ESC projects focused on youth participation
• strengthen the understanding of participatory approaches
• explore citizenship in European context (from the engagement of young people in their communities, decision making initiatives, to their role in the 2024 European elections)
• foster partnerships and joint projects on topics or social causes identified by youth leaders in their local contexts.

Profile of participants – youth leaders who represent a youth organisation or an informal group of young people and youth workers  who

• are interested in developing projects within the Erasmus+ Programme’s Key Action 1, namely Youth Exchanges and Youth Participation projects; or European Solidarity Corps local projects
• have identified an issue relevant for young people in their community they would like to address with European partners
• have some experience with managing projects (not necessarily within E+/ESC frameworks)
• are capable of communicating effectively in English
• 18-35 years old
• maximum 1 participant from the same organisation/informal group

***Priority will be given to participants from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, SALTO SEE countries. Other participants are welcome to apply!

The Project Lab is a combination of online sessions (pre and post-event); a residential event that will take palace in Bucharest, Romania, between 19-24 June 2023 (including travel days) and mentoring for developing a project.

The programme of activities will consist of

• 2 Online sessions (2 hours each) organised between May and June 2023
• participation in the residential event (Bucharest)
• participation in 1 online follow-up session, after the residential event
• 3 hours of mentoring for developing the project idea, after the residential event
• thematic inputs and nonformal learning activities on the topic of youth participation, citizenship in the European context, participatory activities, the possibilities within the E+ & ESC Programmes
• spaces to share and exchange about the themes and topics identified at the local level and find commonalities between them
• spaces for partner-finding and project development within E+/ESC

***Presence in both online and residential events is mandatory.

The Project Lab is part of the Strategic Partnership led by the Estonian National Agency for Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps, in partnership with NAs from Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Slovenia, and SALTO Resource Centres – SALTO PI, SALTO SEE, SALTO ID.