Erasmus+ youth projects are learning activities within the youth field, and they are meant to have a significantly positive impact on young people as well as on the organisations involved, the communities in which these activities take place, the youth field itself and the European economic and societal sectors at large. The following Actions are supported: Mobility of young people (Youth exchanges), Mobility projects for youth workers, Youth participation activities and DiscoverEU Inclusion Action. Our guide on how the European Solidarity Corps makes an impact covers the volunteering side.
Last updated: October 2026.
How do Erasmus+ youth projects give young people a voice?
In Youth participation activities, young people should be able to make their voices heard (through the formulation of positions, proposals and recommendations), especially on how youth policies should be shaped and implemented in Europe. Youth participation activities can also take the form of civic action and youth activism, allowing young people to engage in various ways to raise awareness of issues that matter to them and impose change. Erasmus+ supports non-formal learning mobility of young people in the form of Youth Exchanges. The objective of Youth Exchanges is to engage and empower young people to become active citizens, to connect them to the European project and to help them acquire and develop competences for life and their professional future. Our guide on Erasmus+ Youth Participation activities explains this Action, and Erasmus+ Youth Participation: Voice of Change tells the story behind it.
How do Erasmus+ youth projects bring new ideas and ways of working to a community?
Through their participation in learning mobility activities, youth workers develop skills relevant for their professional development, foster new organisational practices and raise quality of youth work in general. More specifically, Mobility projects for youth workers aim to develop local youth work practices and contribute to capacity building for quality youth work of the participants and their organisation. Mobility projects for youth workers have a clear impact on the participating youth workers' regular work with young people.
Youth Exchanges are meetings of groups of young people from at least two different countries who gather for a short period to implement jointly a non-formal learning programme (a mix of workshops, exercises, debates, role-plays, simulations, outdoor activities, etc.) on a topic of their interest. More specifically, Youth Exchanges aim to:
🌍 Intercultural dialogue: foster intercultural dialogue and learning and a feeling of being European
🧠 Skills and attitudes: develop skills and attitudes of young people
🤝 Values and stereotypes: strengthen European values and the breaking down of prejudices and stereotypes
📣 Awareness: raise awareness about socially relevant topics and thus stimulate engagement in society and active participation in democratic life
Our guide on what a Youth Exchange is and our guide on what non-formal education is explain the learning method, and mobility of youth workers explains the Action for youth workers.
What do Erasmus+ youth projects leave behind in a community?
Inclusion of community-building activities in Youth participation activities projects is strongly encouraged. Wherever possible, such activities should strive to survive beyond the duration of supported projects and become self-sustainable. In Youth participation activities, some examples of activities that could be implemented within a project are:
💬 Workshops and meetings: face-to-face or online workshops and/or meetings, seminars or other events/processes offering space for information, debate and active participation of young people on issues relevant to their daily lives
🔎 Consultations: consultations of young people identifying topics/issues of specific relevance to them (in local, regional, national or transnational context) and identifying their needs related to participation in addressing such topics/issues
🏛️ Simulations: simulations of the functioning of democratic institutions and the roles of decision-makers within such institutions
Our guide on Erasmus+ Youth Participation activities lists what these projects look like.
How do Erasmus+ youth projects raise awareness about issues that matter locally?
In Youth participation activities, some examples of activities that could be implemented within a project are awareness-raising campaigns revolving around participation of young people in democratic life, including information and/or cultural events linked to specific societal challenges relevant to young people. In Youth participation activities, supported activities should contribute to increasing young people's understanding of and interest in engagement with local, regional, national and European institutions. Supported activities should also increase competences essential for engaging in democratic processes. Supported activities may also aim to increase the decision-makers' understanding of the importance of youth participation and raise their competences for communicating with and involving youth in decision-making. Our guide on Erasmus+ Youth Participation: Voice of Change shows how young people use their voice.
How do Erasmus+ youth projects build lasting connections?
The Actions supported under Key Action 1: Learning Mobility of Individuals are expected to bring positive and long-lasting effects on the participants and participating organisations involved. For young people, mobility activities are meant to produce outcomes such as more active participation in society and enhanced positive interactions with people from different backgrounds. Under the core area 'Connect', the EU Youth Strategy facilitates connections and exchange of experience between young people as a pivotal asset for the future development of the EU. These connections are best fostered through different forms of mobility, such as Youth Exchanges and DiscoverEU. More specifically, Mobility projects for youth workers aim to build a community of youth workers that can support the quality of projects and activities for young people in EU programmes and beyond. Our guide on mobility of youth workers explains how this community forms.
Where can you find a project that makes a difference?
Youth Works Hub has a Match page that finds projects suited to you: it asks 8 questions and shows the results as a swipeable deck of cards. Using Match requires creating an account on the site; signing up with Google is available but not required. There is no single registration point for Erasmus+ youth projects: calls are published separately (also on Youth Works Hub), and you apply through each call as it explains.
Frequently asked questions
Can young people run a project in their own community?
Yes: Youth participation activities can be national, implemented at local, regional or national level and involving informal group(s) of young people and/or organisations from a single participating country. In Youth Participation Activities, a group without an organisation can apply only as an informal group. Our guide on Erasmus+ Youth Participation activities explains this Action.
Is a Youth Exchange just a holiday?
No: the following activities are not eligible for grants under Youth Exchanges: academic study trips; exchange activities that aim to make financial profit; exchange activities that can be considered as tourism; festivals; holiday travel; performance tours, statutory meetings, training courses by adults for young people. Our guide on what a Youth Exchange is explains how one works.
Can young people with fewer opportunities take part?
Yes: Youth Exchanges are open to all young people, with a special focus on those with fewer opportunities. Our guide on inclusion support in Erasmus+ and ESC covers the extra support.
Find a project near you
Our guide on Erasmus+ opportunities for youth shows what each Action offers. The Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
Related pages: what an Erasmus+ exchange is · Erasmus+ participation activities for young people · mobility of youth workers · how the European Solidarity Corps makes an impact · what non-formal education is · how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
