🔑 Key Information
Activity ⭐️ Title
From the Ground Up – Building youth participation in local communities
Activity 🔶 Type | 📆 Dates | 📍Location
Training Course
15-22 July 2026 | Malaga, Spain
🌍 Erasmus+ explained — the complete beginner's guide to Europe's largest youth programme.Millions of young people have taken part in Erasmus+ since its launch, but many still don't fully understand what the programme actually includes, who it's for, or how to get involved. This in-depth guide breaks down everything: the different types of mobility, funding opportunities, eligibility criteria, and what you can realistically expect from participating. If you've ever wondered whether Erasmus+ is right for you, this guide gives you all the answers in one place. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/15096/
❗️What Is This Training About?
Participants will deepen their understanding of youth participation in democratic decision-making, explore practical tools for fostering meaningful youth engagement in local communities, and design and facilitate participatory activities
🏘️ How Erasmus+ youth projects create lasting change in local communities. The impact of Erasmus+ goes far beyond the individuals who participate. Local communities, host organisations, and even entire neighbourhoods are shaped by the projects that take place within them. This article explores the broader social impact of Erasmus+ youth exchanges — from building intercultural understanding to empowering grassroots organisations — and makes a compelling case for why these projects matter beyond the personal level. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/3595/
ℹ️ Description About The Opportunity
This training course offers youth workers and youth leaders the opportunity to deepen their understanding of youth participation in democratic decision-making and to strengthen their capacity to design and facilitate meaningful participation processes for and with young people. Through non-formal education and experiential learning approaches, participants will explore key concepts related to youth participation, including the principles of participation, the ladder of participation, power dynamics, digital and virtual youth spaces, and the role of rights in participatory practice, while gaining insight into practical tools and methods that promote youth engagement across local, national and European levels.
The course places strong emphasis on the role of youth workers as enablers of youth participation in their local communities. Participants will examine how non-formal education activities can be designed and facilitated in an engaging and empowering way, with particular attention to building young people's agency, encouraging civic engagement, supporting youth organisations in navigating decision-making spaces, and connecting participatory competences to real-life youth work contexts. By combining theoretical input with structured reflection and peer exchange, the training supports participants in critically analysing the participatory realities of their home countries, mapping local practices, and identifying where youth work can make a difference.
Going beyond theory, the training course is highly participatory and practice-oriented. Participants will engage in interactive workshops, small-group design sessions, intercultural exchange, and hands-on activities - including a simulation of cooperation between youth organisations and local authorities, and a self-organised exploration of local realities. Special focus will be placed on developing concrete local follow-up activities and personal and professional commitment plans that integrate participatory approaches into everyday youth work practice. Participants will also learn how Erasmus+ and Youthpass connect to and support youth participation. By the end of the course, participants will have strengthened their facilitation competences, developed practical activity concepts, and gained tools and strategies to foster youth participation, civic engagement, and young people's meaningful involvement in shaping the decisions and spaces that affect their lives.
The training course is developed in line with Youth Goal 9: Space and Participation for All, and contributes to:
Ensuring young people can adequately influence all areas of society and all parts of the decision-making processes, from agenda setting to implementation, monitoring and evaluation through youth-friendly and accessible mechanisms and structures, ensuring that policies respond to the needs of young people.
Ensuring equal access to everyday decision making for all young people from different backgrounds
The training course is grounded in non-formal education principles and experiential learning approaches. The programme is designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools needed to understand youth participation in democratic decision-making, apply its core principles in youth work contexts, and design and facilitate participatory activities for and with young people in their local communities.
The initial phase of the training focuses on building a safe and supportive learning environment, fostering trust among participants, and creating a strong sense of group cohesion. During the first days, participants will engage in teambuilding activities that explore similarities and differences, shared expectations, and group dynamics. They will be introduced to the foundations of non-formal education and youth participation, gaining insight into local practices and realities of participating countries. This phase also includes an introduction to the Erasmus+ and Youthpass frameworks as tools for recognition and professional development, and an exploration of how these programmes connect to and support youth participation in practice.
As the training progresses, participants will deepen their understanding of core concepts in youth participation, including the principles of participation, the ladder of participation, power dynamics, rights-based approaches, and the evolving landscape of digital and virtual youth participation. Through practical workshops and reflective exercises, they will strengthen their facilitation competences and explore non-formal education as a tool for empowering youth participation in local communities. Particular attention is given to building young people's agency, supporting youth organisations in navigating decision-making spaces, and integrating participatory approaches into everyday youth work practice.
In the later stages of the programme, participants will focus on applying their learning through local-level activity design and experiential learning cycles. Working in teams, they will develop concrete educational activities rooted in youth participation principles and adapted to their local contexts. Through a simulation of cooperation between youth organisations and local authorities, peer feedback, and structured reflection,
they will refine their activity concepts and personal commitment plans for follow-up action at home. The training concludes with a Youthpass ceremony, celebrating each participant's individual learning journey and recognising their competence development throughout the course.
Training overview
This Training Course is
for 35 participants
from Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain
and recommended for
Youth workers, Trainers, Youth leaders, Youth policy makers, Volunteering mentors, Youth coaches
Working language(s):
English
Organiser:
Youth Power Germany e.V (Youth NGO)
A society with positive social values, healthy lifestyles, gender equality and zero discrimination is our main goal. In order to achieve that goal, we are continuously working with young people from all around Europe. Programs currently implemented by the organisation are directed towards non-formal education of young people on topics of entrepreneurship, cultural diversity, volunteerism, mental health, the inclusion of refugees and migrants, healthy lifestyles and violence prevention.
✅ 10 practical tips to write a stronger Erasmus+ or ESC application and actually get selected. With growing competition for spots in Erasmus+ and ESC projects, a well-crafted application can genuinely make or break your chances. This guide shares 10 concrete, actionable tips based on what selection committees actually look for — covering everything from how to frame your motivation to the common mistakes that get applications rejected. If you're serious about getting selected, take the time to read this before you hit submit. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/8396/
📥 Contact
Contact for questions:
Veronica
E-Mail:
Phone: +49 15737879287
💶 Costs
Participation fee
None
Accommodation and food
All costs are covered by organizers and funded within the Erasmus+ program.
Travel reimbursement
-Travel costs will be reimbursed in line with the distance calculator. More info on the reimbursement rules (i.e. taking into consideration eco-friendly types of transportation*) can be checked in the infosheet - which can be downloaded.
*Sustainable means of transport (green travel) is defined as the travel that uses low-emissions means of transport for the main part of the travel, such as bus, train or car-pooling.
Overview of the amounts for travel reimbursements / by participating country:
Germany - 309,00 € / green travel 417,00 €
Austria - 309,00 € / green travel 417,00 €
Spain - 309,00 € / green travel 417,00 €
Portugal - 309,00 € / green travel 417,00 €
Italy - 309,00 € / green travel 417,00 €
📜 Certificate
Participants are entitled to receive a Youthpass certificate from the organiser, for recognition of their competence development during the activity. Read more about Youthpass:
https://youthworkshub.org/15122
⚠️ Important Dates
Application deadline (24h UTC): 21 June 2026
Date of selection: 28 June 2026
🔗 Official Link
🗂️ Documents
😄 How every Erasmus+ group chat starts vs. how it ends — a journey in messages. If you've ever been part of an Erasmus+ project group chat, you already know the energy: the awkward introductions, the overenthusiastic emojis, the plans that never happen, and the inside jokes that follow you for years. This article captures the evolution of every Erasmus+ group dynamic with humour and honesty — and if you haven't experienced it yet, consider this your preview of what's coming. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/15112/
📖 The real story behind every Erasmus+ and ESC journey — what happens before, during, and after.Every Erasmus+ and ESC project has an official timeline: application, preparation, mobility, evaluation. But the real story is much richer than that. This article takes you through what genuinely happens at each stage of a project's life — the doubts, the breakthroughs, the unexpected friendships, and the quiet moments that change everything. A deeply human look at what these programmes mean beyond the paperwork. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/15180/
🚨 How to spot a real Erasmus+ or ESC project — and protect yourself from fake offers. As the popularity of Erasmus+ and ESC grows, so does the number of fraudulent offers mimicking legitimate projects. Fake calls, scam organisations, and misleading listings can be difficult to identify — especially for first-time applicants. This guide gives you the specific red flags to watch for, the verification steps you should always take, and the key differences between genuine EU-funded projects and imitations. Stay informed, stay safe. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/15135/
⚠️ Important Notice
1️⃣ Source of Information
This announcement has been prepared based on the information provided by the source.
2️⃣ No Affiliation
YouthWorks Hub is not the organiser, partner, or representative of the projects listed. All applications must be submitted directly to the project coordinator or hosting organisation through the original link, email, etc.
3️⃣ Content May Change
The project coordinator is solely responsible for the accuracy and details of the opportunity. Deadlines, eligible countries, activity dates, and other details may change, or the announcement may be withdrawn entirely, at any time after publication. Always check the original link before applying.
4️⃣ Funding
All funding, travel reimbursements, and allowances are determined and provided by the project coordinator or National Agency. YouthWorks Hub is not responsible for any payments or financial matters.
5️⃣ External Links
Listings may contain links to third-party websites, forms, or documents (e.g. the ESC Portal, infopacks, application forms). YouthWorks Hub is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or security of these external sources.
💡 Final Note: All listings are shared for informational purposes only. Please always verify details directly through the official project coordinator or programme website before applying.
