The Participation Resource Pool just got deeper: now with resources for all sectors

The updated platform brings together resources, inspiration and guidance to support participation in democratic life across all Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) sectors – moving beyond its former youth-only focus.

Joana Freitas, SALTO PI Coordinator, explains: “What started as a youth-focused initiative, largely centred on non-formal education, has now expanded to include formal education and training contexts. Today, the Participation Resource Pool supports educators, trainers, youth workers, organisations, National Agencies and researchers by giving them access to high-quality tools and resources to foster participation at every level.”

A central hub for enhancing participation

Designed as a one-stop shop for participation resources, the “Pool” now offers clearer navigation and a more structured approach, helping all Erasmus+ and ESC stakeholders find relevant materials across different sectors and phases of a project.

What’s new?

Resources in the Pool are now organised across three separate categories:

• Tools – guidance on practical tools to support participation work.
• Inspiration – inspiring flagship projects, including a new dedicated section highlighting participation initiatives from National Agencies.
• Library – research, publications, e-learning resources and other reference materials.

The ‘About’ section now hosts high-level overviews with links to improved content for different sectors, including new and updated content on Participation in Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, making it easier to quickly access key participation concepts and guidance for a certain field.

To reflect the diversity of Erasmus+ and ESC programmes, the Pool’s content and search filters have been revised to cover all sectors and target groups in line with its new cross-sectoral approach:

“A key part of the review was assessing every single resource to ensure it is still relevant, useful and of high quality for today’s participation work,” Freitas shares.

More ways to engage

The ‘Get Involved’ section has been updated to showcase different ways to engage – both within the programmes and with EU democratic institutions.

Users are invited to become active contributors to the “Pool” itself by commenting on resources, submitting ideas, and uploading their own materials. Search results now indicate whether resources are developed by SALTO Participation & Information or by other actors.

“We hope the renewed Participation Resource Pool will support participation work throughout all phases of a project, including organisational and institutional culture, and serve as a shared space for learning, inspiration and collaboration for all stakeholders of Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps,” Freitas explains.