YMCA Europe is proud to announce that its application for the groundbreaking project “Community Solutions Hub: From Issues to Impact” has been approved by the European Youth Foundation!
This new project is set to empower young people by equipping them with the skills and tools necessary to address pressing challenges and drive meaningful change in their communities.
This new YMCA project will take place for the entirety of 2025, culminating in a five-day event in Brussels (September 2025), where 35 youth leaders will have the opportunity to strengthen their community engagement skills while designing a needs assessment framework. Through non-formal education and peer learning, participants will reflect on community challenges and learn how to translate these into policy and advocacy objectives – right in the heart of Europe’s capital.
About the Project
The project focuses on enhancing the capabilities of young people within the European Youth Representative Network (EYRN), YMCA Europe’s youth-led advocacy body.
Over the past two years, the EYRN has provided structured training, workshops, and real-world advocacy opportunities to prepare young leaders for effective representation and action. Following up on last year’s International Activity in Salduero, which had youth-led advocacy campaigns as a central focus point, this year’s project will further the participants’ existing knowledge and will feature a deep dive into the practical methods youth can use to take their communities’ pulse and to incorporate these insights into their advocacy efforts.
Building on these foundations, this new phase will take advocacy to the next level by grounding initiatives in a comprehensive European needs assessment. Participants will develop practical skills in:
- Community engagement
- Research and data collection
- Prioritizing youth issues
- Policy development and advocacy
- By fostering collaboration across Europe, the project offers a unified platform to amplify youth voices and influence policy at a European level.
How the Project Works
Participants will engage in workshop-based activities designed to provide hands-on experience in advocacy and community analysis. They will co-create a needs assessment framework and design a questionnaire tailored to identifying the most pressing challenges facing young people across Europe.
These tools will then be used in their local contexts to gather data, which will be synthesized at the European level. The findings will serve as a foundation for advocacy initiatives, ensuring that the voices of young people are heard and their concerns are addressed in meaningful ways.
A Strong European and Youth Dimension
This project is deeply rooted in the values of collaboration and democratic participation:
- European Scope: By bringing together participants from diverse countries, the project fosters a shared understanding of common challenges while addressing specific local needs.
- Youth-Led and Co-Created: Young people from the EYRN are not just participants, but co-creators of this initiative. Their input is central to the project’s design, ensuring genuine youth involvement.
- Non-Formal Education: Workshops will use participatory methods, ensuring a youth-centered approach that empowers participants to lead the process.
What’s next?
The call for participants will be published soon through the website and social media channels of YMCA Europe, so we kindly invite you to follow the progress of this initiative, the EYRN and YMCA Europe in order to stay in touch with the latest developments in advocacy and youth leadership!
Co-financed by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe
