🇸🇮 Erasmus+ Conference in Slovenia 🧩 Supporting Neurodiversity in Youth Work 💚

🔑 Key Information

Activity ⭐️ Title

International Conference Mladost (je) ni norost 2026

🇪🇺 What is Erasmus+? Erasmus+ is the EU's programme for education, training, youth and sport, with a €26.2 billion budget for 2021–2027. It funds study abroad, internships, youth exchanges, training courses and youth worker mobility. This overview covers who is eligible, every activity type and what's funded. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/erasmusplus

Activity 🔶 Type | 📆 Dates | 📍Location

Conference – Symposium - Forum

18-19 November 2026 | BAZA, Center mladih Ljubljana, Slovenia

❗️What Is This Training About?

Theme: Supporting neurodiversity in youth work Organised by: Javni zavod Mladi zmaji & NA Movit

✅ Who can apply for Erasmus+ and ESC? Eligibility depends on activity: ages 13–30 for most Erasmus+ youth activities and 18–30 for ESC volunteering (up to 35 for humanitarian aid), plus country and residence rules. This guide covers roles, inclusion support, language needs and the profile coordinators look for. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/whocanapply

ℹ️ Description About The Opportunity

Since 2019, the Mladost (je) ni norost conference by Javni zavod Mladi zmaji has brought together people passionate about improving youth mental health - offering space to share knowledge, inspire each other, and grow together.

This year’s conference will take place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from November 17th to 20th, 2026. Arrival is scheduled for Wednesday, November 17th, and departure on Friday, November 20th, while the core conference programme will run on November 18th and 19th.

The 2026 conference brings together professionals working with young people to deepen their understanding of neurodiversity and strengthen their everyday practice. It addresses key questions practitioners often face: How do I recognize neurodivergent young people? How should I respond in a supportive and appropriate way? And how can I meaningfully include them in my activities and programmes?

The conference will feature keynote lectures, skill-based workshops, and creative spaces for exchange. Participants will leave equipped with at least 3 practical tools for their daily work, as well as new connections and inspiration.The conference is fueled with Compassion as one of the key concepts of understanding human relations.

Aim

The Mladost (je) ni norost 2026 International Conference aims to strengthen the capacity of youth workers and other professionals working with young people to understand, support, and meaningfully include neurodivergent young people in their everyday practice.

Through practical learning, reflection, exchange, and connection, the conference will provide participants with knowledge, concrete tools, and compassionate approaches that can be directly applied in youth work.

Objectives

Increase participants' understanding of neurodiversity.
Strengthen participants’ ability to recognize diverse needs, behaviours, communication styles, and ways of experiencing the world.
Develop practical skills for responding to neurodivergent young people.
Equip participants with at least three concrete tools, methods, or approaches that they can use in their daily work with young people.
Explore ways of creating more accessible, flexible, and inclusive activities and programmes.

Who is this for?

We are looking for youth workers, volunteers, students, and other professionals working with young people in youth centres or similar settings, using innovative approaches and willing to share good practices that they are using in their work with other participants. This activity and venue place are accessible to people with disabilities.

All participants should:

Be over 18 years old.
Be able to work in English.
Commit to the full duration of the conference.

📘 What is Erasmus+? (in-depth) Erasmus+ has run since 1987 and has had over 13 million participants, funding four main activities for young people. This pillar guide covers its history, funding, research-backed benefits, the full application process and an FAQ. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/what-is-erasmus-plus

Training overview

This Conference – Symposium - Forum is

for 60 participants

from Erasmus+ Youth Programme countries , Western Balkan countries

and recommended for

Youth workers, Youth leaders, Volunteering mentors, Experts, Other

Accessibility info:

This activity and venue place are accessible to people with disabilities.

Organiser:

Javni zavod Mladi zmaji (Youth NGO)

Co-organiser(s):

NA Movit (National Agency)

💡 How do you prepare a strong Erasmus+ or ESC application? Read the call carefully, write specific motivation, show skills with examples, and state clear learning goals. This guide gives 10 practical tips plus the common mistakes that lead to rejection. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/erasmus-application-tips

📥 Contact

Contact for questions:

Mija Pungeršič

E-mail: maruska.kobe@mladizmaji.com

E-Mail:

Phone: + 386 (0)1 320 03 58

💶 Costs

Participation fee

This project is financed by the National Agencies (NAs) of the EU Programmes Erasmus+: Youth and European Solidarity Corps.

Accommodation and food

Accommodation in double rooms and meals during the activity will be arranged and fully covered by the conference host.

Travel reimbursement

Please contact your NA or SALTO in order to know whether they would support your travel costs. If yes, after being selected, get in touch with your NA or SALTO again to learn more about the overall procedure to arrange the booking of your travel tickets and the reimbursement of your travel expenses.

📜 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/what-is-youthpass

⚠️ Important Dates

Application deadline (24h UTC): 16 September 2026

Date of selection: 29 September 2026

🎓 What is an Erasmus+ Training Course? A Training Course is a short funded course (5–10 days) for youth workers, educators and NGO staff to build skills through non-formal education. This guide explains who can join, what's covered and how it differs from a Youth Exchange. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/trainingcourse

🔗 Official Link

https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/european-training-calendar/training/international-conference-mladost-je-ni-norost-2026.15218/

⚖️ What's the difference between ESC and Erasmus+? The ESC is for volunteering and solidarity, while Erasmus+ is broad learning mobility (study, training, youth exchanges). This guide compares age, funding, duration and application route, and includes a "choose this if…" decision guide. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc-vs-erasmus

🎂 What are the age limits for Erasmus+ and ESC? Youth Exchanges are 13–30, ESC volunteering is 18–30 (35 for humanitarian aid), and training, youth worker mobility and study/traineeships have no upper age limit. This guide breaks down every activity and how age is counted (at the start date). 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/erasmus-age-limits

💶 What costs does Erasmus+ cover? For youth activities (KA152–154) it covers travel by distance band, individual support, organisational support, preparation, inclusion support up to 100% and exceptional costs. This 2026 guide details each item and what Erasmus+ does not cover. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/what-erasmus-covers