GEYC - Group of the European Youth for Change

Publication - De la date la schimbare: rezultatele cercetării NeuroDem privind participarea tinerilor neurodivergenți

2026-04-12T17:45:00.000+03:00

Această publicație prezintă rezultatele cercetării realizate în cadrul proiectului NeuroDem, oferind o perspectivă de ansamblu asupra modului în care tinerii neurodivergenți – în special tinerii autiști și cei cu ADHD – pot fi susținuți în participarea democratică și în procesele de advocacy.

Bazată pe un demers de cercetare desfășurat la nivel european, care a combinat chestionare adresate lucrătorilor de tineret, focus grupuri naționale și analiză documentară, publicația aduce împreună date relevante despre nevoile, provocările și oportunitățile existente în acest domeniu. Rezultatele evidențiază atât angajamentul și motivația practicienilor, cât și lacunele persistente în formare, resurse și implementarea unor abordări incluzive.

Acest material face parte din metodologia mai amplă NeuroDem și reprezintă fundamentul pentru dezvoltarea unor instrumente practice, programe de formare și resurse inovatoare menite să sprijine implicarea reală a tinerilor neurodivergenți în viața democratică.

Publicat în aprilie 2026 | Citește AICI

News - Eco-Patrols International Session: Co-creating the Future of Sustainability Education

2026-04-08T17:11:00.004+03:00

What happens when educators, youth workers, and sustainability experts from across Europe come together with one shared mission? You get three days of intense collaboration, creativity and meaningful learning.

The Eco-Patrols International Workshop in Ohrid, North Macedonia, marks a key milestone in the development of the Eco-Patrol Manual, which is a practical educational resource designed to empower youth workers and teachers to bring sustainability topics to life for children and young people.

What is the workshop about?

This international session brings together representatives from all partner organizations to test, refine, and co-create non-formal education methods developed within the Eco-Patrols project. Each partner has designed a module addressing critical sustainability themes, and this workshop is where theory meets practice. The main goal was to collaboratively develop and refine educational modules that are engaging, practical, and impactful, ensuring they can be effectively used in real educational settings. The workshop is not the final step, it’s a crucial testing phase. Each partner and expert were:

- Presenting their modules and proposed activities

- Engaging in hands-on testing using non-formal education approaches

- Collaborating through group work, discussions, and simulations

- Providing constructive feedback to improve the learning experience

Exploring Sustainability Through Diverse Modules

The Eco-Patrol Manual brings together a rich diversity of topics, each developed by partner organizations:

Module 1 - Earth Systems (Romania)

Module 2 - Circular Economy (Greece)

Module 3 - Zero Waste Food (Spain)

Module 4 - Fast Fashion (North Macedonia)

Module 5 - Digital Waste (Croatia)

Module 6 - Misinformation (Romania)

Module 7 - Eco-Emotions (Greece)

Module 8 - Green Transition (Spain)

Each module follows a carefully designed structure that combines theoretical background with experiential learning, guiding participants through activities such as energizers, simulations, critical reflection, systems thinking, and real-life application.

At the heart of the workshop is the experiential learning cycle, participants don’t just learn about sustainability, they experience it. Through concrete activities, reflection, conceptual understanding, and practical experimentation, the modules aim to create deep, lasting learning.

In a world facing complex environmental challenges, education must go beyond information. It must inspire action, critical thinking, and responsible choices. The Eco-Patrol Manual aims to do exactly that- support educators in shaping a more sustainable future, one learning experience at a time.

Stay tuned for the final version of the manual and the impact it will create across classrooms and youth initiatives in Europe!

Eco-Patrols aims to enhance non-formal environmental education by scaling up the Eco-Patrols method, integrating modern environmental concepts, and using digital tools to empower youth, youth workers, and organizations across the EU for a sustainable future. Funded by: Erasmus+ KA220, Project ID: 2025-1-HR01-KA220-YOU-000361087

Open call - [ES-817] DigiArt, 03.07.2026-08.07.2026, Malagón, Ciudad Real, Spain

2026-04-07T13:19:00.004+03:00

Key Information

Dates:	03/07/2026 - 08/07/2026
Arrival day:	03/07/2026
Departure day:	08/07/2026
Location:	Malagón, Ciudad Real, Spain
Participants needed:	3 participants from Romania
Deadline to apply:	10/04/2026 via geyc.ro/mobility

💡 About the Project

The project bring together youth workers from different countries with the aim of strengthening their competences to support young people with creative talent in transforming their skills into sustainable employment opportunities. The project will focus on the exchange of experiences, non-formal learning, and the development of practical tools that will enable participants to improve their work with young people, especially those with fewer opportunities. During the activity, participants will take part in interactive workshops, collaborative sessions, and learning dynamics that will foster the exchange of good practices among youth organizations. The activity will take place in Spain and will bring together organizations from different countries working in the fields of youth development, culture, and social inclusion.

✨ Highlight: This project is hosted by Transeunte Europe and supported by the Erasmus+ Programme.

🎯 Objectives

Improve the digital and entrepreneurial competences of youth workers.
Share innovative youth work methodologies focused on creativity and artistic talent.
Develop practical tools and training materials that can later be used by the participating organizations.
Promote social inclusion and the participation of young people with fewer opportunities.

👥 Target Group

Participants: Aged 18–35 years old;
The project is open to a wide age range of youth workers, although most participants are expected to be involved in youth
Young people from diverse backgrounds (rural/urban) or facing fewer opportunities;
Professionals working with young artists or creative youth
Representatives of youth organizations

🏠 About the Location

Accommodation will be provided in Malagón, Ciudad Real (Castilla–La Mancha, Spain), in a central area of the town with easy access to the main activity venues and local amenities. The venue offers a comfortable, safe, and welcoming environment, creating the ideal conditions for participants to focus on learning and sharing throughout the training course.

🏡 Venue: The activity will take place in Malagón, located approximately 200 km south of Madrid. The easiest and fastest way to reach the area is by high-speed train (AVE) from Madrid Atocha Train Station to Ciudad Real. The host organisation will arrange pick-up from Ciudad Real train station.

Participants will stay in shared double or triple rooms, arranged according to gender and availability.

The organisers will provide three meals per day, mainly based on traditional Spanish cuisine.

🚆 How to Get There

The arrival day is 3rd July at Madrid Airport (Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport – MAD). Participants are recommended to arrive between 12:00 and 16:00 to allow enough time for the journey to Malagón (Ciudad Real).

The departure day is 8th July. Participants are advised to book return flights from Madrid Airport (MAD) between 13:00 and 18:00, depending on the train schedule from Ciudad Real to Madrid.

How to Get from Madrid Airport to Ciudad Real

Participants arriving at Madrid Airport (MAD) should follow these steps:

From the airport, take the Cercanías train (lines C1 or C10) or the Airport Express Bus to Madrid Atocha Train Station (approximate cost: 5€, cash recommended).

From Madrid Atocha, take the high-speed train (AVE) to Ciudad Real. The train journey takes approximately 1 hour.

The organising team will provide detailed guidance, including recommended train schedules. If possible, we will also help coordinate arrivals so participants can travel together from Madrid to Ciudad Real.

✉️ Travel plans must be approved by the organizers: community@geyc.ro in line with GEYC's Travel Policy

💶 Financial Details

✅ Covered by Erasmus+:

100% accommodation and meals

Travel reimbursement up to 395 EUR upon presenting all justifying documents.

🙌 Your contribution: a cofunding of 200 RON covering community management and administrative costs not included in the European funding.
Waived for: GEYC’s executive team, Board, interns, volunteers, European Fellows, and participants with fewer economic opportunities. If you have a valid MC Voucher you can use it to waive your contribution.

✈️ Travel Policy

Only economy/basic fare tickets approved from your location in Romania and back to Romania.

All travel plans must be pre-approved by organizers

Reimbursement in EUR after mobility.. Check here the applicable rates for the month of payment.

Only buy tickets from official airline websites.
Please purchase your flight directly from the company’s official site (for example: Wizz Air, Ryanair, Lufthansa, TAROM, etc.). Third-party platforms such as Kiwi, Skyscanner, or eSky may be used to search for flights, but not to purchase them.

Do not buy any travel tickets before receiving final confirmation.
Wait for an official selection confirmation email from the organizers before booking your trip.

Choose the most economical travel option.
Select low-cost or direct flights whenever possible. Checked baggage, seat selection, in-flight meals, or other extra options are not automatically reimbursed and must be pre-approved by GEYC or the hosting organization.

Keep and store all travel documents properly.
You must provide all the following for reimbursement:

Invoices (saved as PDFs – see how to do it here)
Boarding passes (physical copies or screenshots)
Physical tickets for any bus, train, or local transport used

All travel documents should be uploaded to Google Drive, in a personal folder named after you (for example: Firstname_Lastname_TravelDocs).

Important: Missing or incomplete travel documents may result in delayed or reduced reimbursement.

We are going green 💚. Check out the Travel Policy at GEYC which might differ from other projects you joined before.

📘 Important Information

Health insurance: EHIC or private policy required

Travel documents: Valid ID/passport (6+ months)

Youthpass certificate: awarded at the end of the mobility.

Înscrie-te acum ✍️

Events - Tinerii iau inițiativa pentru accesul la apă potabilă în spații publice: Bootcampul „Sete de Soluții” la Bran

2026-04-04T10:00:00.005+03:00

În perioada 19–22 martie 2026, 27 de tineri din România au participat la Bootcampul „Young Multipliers”, organizat la Bran, în cadrul proiectului Erasmus+ „Sete de Soluții / Thirsty for Solutions”. Evenimentul a adus împreună tineri din opt comunități: Călărași, Galați, Pitești, București, Cluj-Napoca, Suceava, Oltenița și Dorohoi, pentru a identifica și promova soluții concrete pentru accesul echitabil la apă potabilă în spațiile publice.

O primă etapă a programului de formare EFSD a fost participarea la trei sesiuni online de învățare legate de implicarea civică și modul de funcționare a instituțiilor publice, astfel încât fiecare participant să poată construi o campanie de advocacy în comunitatea din care fac parte.

În prima sesiune s-a analizat separarea puterilor în stat, tipurile de acte normative și modalitatea prin care o simplă idee ajunge la implementarea ei efectivă. Discuția s-a bazat pe și pe clarificarea rolurilor instituțiilor și autorităților publice, mai exact cine gestionează orașele în care trăim și serviciile puse la dispoziția cetățenilor.

Programul de formare a continuat cu cea de-a doua etapă, dedicată acțiunilor și instrumentelor pe care le putem folosi în cadrul unei campanii de advocacy. Sesiunea a pus accent pe mecanismele legale de consultare și participare a cetățenilor, alături de partea de comunicare online și offline a unei campanii sau inițiative. În cadrul aceleași sesiuni, ne-am bucurat de prezența lui Alin Grigore, Director General-Direcția Generală de Turism din cadrul Ministerului Economiei, Digitalizării, Antreprenoriatului și Turismului, lider cu experiență în sectorul de reprezentare al studenților și al tinerilor. Acesta a răspuns la o serie de întrebări din partea participanților, punând accentul pe nevoia de implicare a tinerilor în toate formele acesteia.

În ultima sesiune am analizat câteva întrebări la care ar trebui să răspundă orice inițiator atunci când decide să organizeze o campanie: De ce resurse avem nevoie? Care este instituția cheie? Cum putem comunica ideile noastre?

Am discutat cu 2 dintre cei 27 de tineri ambasadori ai proiectului “Sete de soluții”, pentru a vedea ce impact au avut sesiunile online în modul în care își vor organiza campaniile în viitor.

“Consider că acest format de învățare vine în completarea educației formale de care beneficiem în cadrul școlii, echipându-ne cu abilitățile necesare pentru a analiza problemele din societatea noastră și pentru a găsi modalități de acționa și de a implica. În cadrul sesiunilor, ne-am simțit confortabil să punem întrebări și să am primit răspunsuri elocvente ce ne ajută acum în crearea campaniilor noastre”

— Ioana, elevă în București și Ambasador STSL

“După aceste sesiuni înțeleg mai bine procesele de dezbatere și publicare, iar acest lucru m-a ajutat să fiu mult mai atent la modul în care proiectele sunt adoptate. Sunt mult mai pregătit pentru a soluționa problemele din comunitatea mea. Cred că acest format de învățare e foarte util pentru tineri, pentru că ne oferă posibilitatea să ne conectăm din orice colț al țării. Discuțiile și joculețele îl fac mai interactiv, ceea ce e un mare plus, deoarece creează o atmosferă puțin mai colectivă în cazul sesiunilor online.”

— Robert, student, Cluj-Napoca și Ambasador STSL

În timpul Bootcampului, tinerii participanți au lucrat în echipe pentru a dezvolta planuri de acțiune locale, care includ:

Organizarea de evenimente dedicate accesului la apă potabilă;
Redactarea de demersuri oficiale: petiții, solicitări către autorități, intervenții în comisii parlamentare;
Identificarea spațiilor publice prioritare pentru instalarea de puncte de acces la apă: aeroporturi, gări, parcuri și zone centrale din orașe precum Cluj-Napoca, Galați, București și Oltenița.

Dialog cu factorii de decizie: Ștefan Tanasă și legislația pentru apă potabilă

La Bootcamp a participat și deputatul USR Ștefan Tanasă, care a discutat cu tinerii despre funcționarea instituțiilor publice și procesul legislativ privind accesul la apă potabilă în spațiile publice. Propunerea legislativă pe care o susține prevede acces gratuit la apă în diferite spații publice precum instituții publice, spitale sau școli.

Deputatul, implicat în promovarea dreptului la apă potabilă gratuită în spațiile publice, a lansat recent platforma apapentruromani.ro – prin care cetățenii pot susține completarea Ordonanței Guvernului nr. 7/2023 pentru a garanta accesul liber la apă potabilă în instituțiile publice, spitale, școli, gări, aeroporturi și alte spații de tranzit din România. Platforma oferă informații despre propunerea legislativă, argumentele din spatele acesteia și posibilitatea ca fiecare persoană să-și adauge semnătura în sprijinul măsurii, consolidând astfel vocea comunității în favoarea unui standard european de civilizație în ceea ce privește hidratarea publică.Acesta lansată o platformă pentru colectarea de semnături în sprijinul completării Ordonanței Guvernului nr. 7/2023.

Water4EU Manifesto: Apă potabilă gratuită, o miză europeană

În cadrul Bootcampului, participanții au co-creat Water4EU Manifesto. Acest document propune transformarea accesului gratuit la apă potabilă într-un drept garantat la nivel european și urmărește obținerea unei finanțări de 1 milion euro pentru apă potabilă în spații publice și formarea unei generații de tineri implicați civic și pregătiți să aducă schimbare în comunitățile lor. Manifestul susține măsuri concrete pentru:

Implicarea civică a tinerilor;
Adaptarea la schimbările climatice;
Incluziunea socială și sustenabilitatea;
Implementarea recomandărilor Conferinței ONU privind Apa din 2026, cât și a obiectivelor ECI „Right 2 Water” și Campania Comisiei Europene „Water Wise EU”

Semnează Manifesto / Sign the Manifesto

Susține cerințele Water4EU și alătură-te mișcării noastre europene / Endorse the Water4EU policy demands and join our European movement.

Cum a arătat Bootcampul „Sete de Soluții”

News - GEYC's annual report for 2025 has been launched

2026-04-03T10:00:00.013+03:00

For GEYC, 2025 was a year of growth, consolidation, and meaningful impact—one in which ideas matured into action and the organization strengthened its role at both national and international levels. To better capture what this year truly meant, we asked the members of the Board of Directors a simple question: What was 2025 like for you within GEYC? Here is what they shared:

Gabriel Brezoiu

“I am glad to see that GEYC’s work is recognized at international level, that we accelerated our representation within the UN, the EU, and the Council of Europe, that our professionalism was confirmed through ISO-standard accreditation, and that our impact was validated by the awards we received.”

Adrian Calancea

“2025 was an intense year, full of challenges, in which my role meant commitment and responsibility, but also personal development.”

Sabina Spătariu

“It was a year in which, within GEYC, we debated many new ideas, set objectives, and prepared strategies, alongside strengthening our internal organization.”

Ioana Tatarciuc

“2025 was about turning aspirations into real actions, growing from a newly planted seed into long-term results.”

Alexandru Lache

“It was a dynamic year, in which we managed to create impact through our projects and to lay the foundations for new national and international initiatives for young people.”

Teodora Akinola

“For me, 2025 was a year of consolidation and impact for GEYC, in which we succeeded in turning bold ideas into concrete projects, growing the community, and strengthening the organization’s role in digital innovation, sustainability, and youth civic engagement.”

Daria Mateciuc

“2025 was a year of strong growth within GEYC, so much so that I would say it was defined by this word, across the team, the community, and our impact, shaped by inspiring people and increasingly high-profile projects.”

Publication - PRISMA Framework methodology on digital citizenship education has been launched

2026-03-31T13:14:00.019+03:00

The methodology will be used for the implementation of the National Digital Democracy Labs and serve as inspiration for the activities organized during the European Digital Citizenship Education Week 2026, within the framework of the PrismaEU OG 2026 project, to strengthen digital citizenship and enhance democratic participation.

This publication has been created in the context of a learning mobility as part of the project PrismaEU OG 2026/101235778. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

News - GEYC's input on the EU strategy for islands | Europe at the borders

2026-03-30T20:11:00.016+03:00

At GEYC, we advocate for an EU strategy for islands that mirrors the objectives of our "Europe at the borders" programme by addressing the systemic "peripheral gap" shared by both insular and land-based border regions. We emphasize that the "right to stay" for island youth must be secured through digital empowerment and economic diversification, moving beyond a reliance on single sectors like tourism to foster high-skill opportunities in the blue and green economies.

Our feedback highlights the need for inter-regional mentorship and simplified administrative frameworks to help smaller island authorities overcome capacity constraints and feel meaningfully connected to European decision-making. By treating islands as innovation test beds for sustainability—drawing on GEYC’s experience with youth-led "Enviropreneurship" in the Azores—the EU can ensure these territories become dynamic contributors to a resilient and inclusive Union.

What is the strategy all about?

The proposed EU strategy for islands aims to create a coordinated policy framework to address the long-standing structural, economic, and environmental challenges unique to these territories. Currently, the initiative is structured around four primary objectives:

economic competitiveness by diversifying traditional sectors and improving digital/transport connectivity;
sustainability and resilience through decarbonization, renewable energy, and climate adaptation;
demographic resilience by securing the "right to stay" through better access to public services and housing; and
security and defense, positioning islands as strategic contributors to infrastructure and border management.

As a non-legislative Communication indicatively planned for Q2-2026, the strategy seeks to reduce administrative burdens and ensure island needs are integrated into the next generation of EU national partnership plans.

Check out our contribution

You can also have your say

Until April 1st, the platform is open for feedback. Feel free to join and have your say.

Publication - Construind un viitor rezilient: Pregătirea cetățenilor într-o uniune în schimbare - Concluziile evenimentului

2026-03-26T20:41:00.026+02:00

Într-un context marcat de incertitudine și transformări accelerate, tema pregătirii și rezilienței devine din ce în ce mai centrală. Inițiative precum roadmap-ul READY lansat de GEYC, dar și strategia privind reziliența și pregătirea cetățenilor pentru situații de urgență, dezvoltată de Comisia Europeană, conturează o direcție clară: cetățenii, comunitățile și organizațiile trebuie să fie mai bine pregătite pentru crize multiple – de la dezastre naturale la amenințări hibride și energetice.

În același spirit, weekendul precedent a găzduit Panelul Cetățenilor Europeni dedicat pregătirii, consolidând dialogul la nivel UE privind rolul activ al cetățenilor în construirea rezilienței colective.

În acest context, evenimentul „Construind un Viitor Rezilient: Pregătirea Cetățenilor într-o Uniune în Schimbare”, organizat de GEYC la Reprezentanța Comisiei Europene în România, a adus împreună aproximativ 50 de participanți – tineri, experți, reprezentanți ai societății civile și ai instituțiilor – pentru un schimb de idei concret și orientat spre soluții moderat de către colegul nostru, Gabriel Brezoiu, manager general.

Evenimentul a fost construit în două etape complementare:

Prima parte: intervenții ale experților + sesiune de Q&A
A doua parte: 4 colțuri tematice (ateliere interactive), unde participanții au lucrat pe idei și soluții concrete. Rezultatele acestor discuții au fost colectate și integrate în Citizens Engagement Platform.

Vocile experților: perspective complementare asupra rezilienței

Securitate cibernetică

Dan Gaidău — Cyber Security Manager, Honeywell

A adus o perspectivă tehnică și practică asupra riscurilor digitale, subliniind că atacurile cibernetice nu mai sunt excepții, ci realități cotidiene.

Atelier: Securitate cibernetică și pregătire digitală

Discuțiile au pornit de la experiențe reale – majoritatea participanților au fost victime ale unor atacuri de tip phishing.

Recomandări-cheie:

Introducerea unei materii de educație digitală în școli
Promovarea autentificării multi-factor și a verificării breșelor de date
Campanii naționale de informare privind securitatea online
Creșterea transparenței platformelor digitale

Reziliență civică și comunitară

Luca Ciubotaru — Fondator Rădăuțiul Civic

Luca a discutat despre rolul participării cetățenești și al încrederii în instituții. Reziliența începe cu cetățeni implicați și informați.

Atelier: Reziliență civică și sprijin comunitar

Participanții au identificat provocări legate de încredere, colaborare și pregătire practică.

Recomandări-cheie:

Cursuri de inteligență emoțională și educație socială
Organizarea de evenimente locale pentru creșterea încrederii
Promovarea voluntariatului de la vârste fragede
Simulări reale (cutremure, incendii) în instituții de învățământ

Reziliență la dezastre naturale

Matei Sumbasacu — Fondator Re:Rise

A subliniat importanța pregătirii comunitare în fața riscurilor seismice, în special în contextul vulnerabilităților din București.

Atelier: Dezastre naturale și pregătire comunitară

Accentul a fost pus pe nevoia de trecere de la teorie la practică și colaborarea între actori.

Recomandări-cheie:

Modernizarea metodelor de informare pentru tineri
Organizarea de simulări și exerciții practice
Crearea de infrastructuri comunitare de urgență
Integrarea sprijinului psihologic în planurile de intervenție

Rolul programelor europene

Simona Musteață — Coordonator Departament Tineret, ANPCDEFP

Simona a evidențiat modul în care programele precum Erasmus+ contribuie la dezvoltarea competențelor de preparedness.

Atelier: Programe europene și dezvoltarea competențelor

Discuțiile au evidențiat rolul transformator al mobilității europene în dezvoltarea rezilienței, atât în educația formală cât și în cea nonformală.

Recomandări-cheie:

Accent pe simulări realiste și training-uri practice
Dezvoltarea competențelor de autocontrol și prioritizare
Integrarea educației financiare și interculturale
Schimb constant de bune practici între organizații

Cu ce rămânem după eveniment?

Evenimentul a demonstrat clar că reziliența este un proces care trebuie construit activ, prin:

educație practică și continuă
implicare civică reală
colaborare între instituții, ONG-uri și cetățeni
aliniere la prioritățile europene

Următorul pas este transformarea acestor idei în politici, programe și acțiuni concrete, iar rolul tinerilor rămâne esențial în acest proces.

English Version

Conclusions and recommendations: Building a Resilient Future.

Download EN (PDF)

Versiunea Română

Concluzii și recomandări: Construind un viitor rezilient.

Descarcă RO (PDF)

Publication - Ghid NeuroDem pentru incluziunea și participarea tinerilor neurodivergenți

2026-03-26T17:19:00.006+02:00

This Guide is a practical resource designed to support youth workers, educators, and organizations in creating inclusive, safe, and empowering learning environments for neurodivergent youth, particularly those with autism and ADHD. Developed as part of the NeuroDem Erasmus+ project, this guide brings together field experience, co-creation processes, and evidence-based practices to address the real needs of neurodivergent participants.

This publication focuses on key elements such as stakeholder roles, inclusive facilitation, sensory and emotional adaptations, and ethical considerations in working with neurodivergent groups. It emphasizes the importance of flexibility, psychological safety, and neuro-affirmative approaches, offering concrete recommendations that can be applied across different learning and participation contexts.

To explore more about the NeuroDem project, access additional resources, and discover the full methodology, visit www.neurodem.eu

Published in March 2026 | Read HERE

Open call - ACT4EU Inclusive Entrepreneurship Accelerator for Creative Entrepreneurs

2026-03-25T20:42:00.022+02:00

Call for Applications

ACT4EU Inclusive Entrepreneurship Accelerator

for Creative Entrepreneurs

Are you a young creative entrepreneur who wants to strengthen your idea, grow your project, and access practical support in an international learning environment? Or are you interested in creative entrepreneurship and want to learn more?

The ACT4EU Inclusive Entrepreneurship Accelerator is a 5 week online programme designed for young creative entrepreneurs from Romania, France, Spain, and Greece, mainly, but we are happy to have all those interested join us. The programme is part of the Erasmus+ project A.C.T.4EU: Advocacy, Creativity, and Transformation for Europe, financed by the European Union.

This accelerator supports creative entrepreneurs in turning ideas into realistic and sustainable initiatives through practical learning, peer exchange, and tailored resources. It pays special attention to the realities faced by participants with fewer opportunities, including young women, people from minority backgrounds, persons with disabilities, young people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, and young people facing geographic or territorial barriers.

5 weeks

5 - 1hr live sessions

Fully online

Google Meet + Google Classroom

Free of charge

APPLY NOW

Who is it for?

Eligible participants

Young people based in Romania, France, Spain, or Greece, generally aged 18 to 35.
People active in or connected to the creative and cultural sectors, such as design, visual arts, music, crafts, digital media, photography, audiovisual, fashion, cultural projects, illustration, community arts, or creative tech.
Applicants with an idea, initiative, freelance activity, early stage venture, or project they want to develop further.
Participants motivated to learn in an international online setting.
Priority is given to applicants from fewer-opportunities backgrounds and underrepresented groups.

What makes this programme different?

It is short, focused, and interactive.
It is designed with inclusion and accessibility in mind.
It combines entrepreneurship basics, ecosystem awareness, practical planning, and peer learning.
Each session contributes to one part of a lean venture plan, so participants finish with a draft venture plan they can continue to refine.

What will participants gain?

    Learning experience
    Five live sessions, each a maximum of 1 hour.
Interactive live sessions on Google Meet.
Practical tools tailored to creative entrepreneurship.

  

Resources and exchange

Google Classroom resources and templates.
Peer exchange across four European countries.
Short follow-up tasks between sessions.

Outcomes

A draft venture plan including offer, audience, validation, communication, revenue logic, and next steps.
Clearer next steps for venture development.
A certificate of participation, based on attendance and engagement.

Format

Duration: 5 weeks (5 live sessions)

Format: fully online

Live sessions: Google Meet

Assignments and materials: Google Classroom

Participation fee: FREE of charge

Short and focused sessions

Interactive peer learning

Accessible, practical resources

Participation expectations

Attend the live sessions.
Complete short Google Classroom tasks.
Contribute to peer learning and discussion.
Respect the inclusive and supportive learning environment.

Selection criteria

Relevance of the applicant profile

Motivation and commitment

Connection to the creative sector

Interest in entrepreneurship

Diversity, inclusion, and access considerations

How the accelerator fits into ACT4EU

What has already been done

ACT4EU has already created a first common learning space through earlier project activities and the February 2026 Advocacy for Creative Entrepreneurs training. In parallel, the project diagnosis has identified key barriers to inclusive creative entrepreneurship across the partner countries.

What the accelerator adds now

The Inclusive Entrepreneurship Accelerator translates these findings into a practical and supportive online programme focused entirely on entrepreneurial development: ecosystem awareness, offer clarity, validation, communication, business basics, support access, and draft venture planning.

What comes after the accelerator

After the accelerator, participants can continue using ACT4EU resources, stay connected through peer exchange and project visibility activities, and build on links with wider mentoring and follow-up support opportunities within the project ecosystem.

5 Session Accelerator Structure

Session 1. Understanding Your Ecosystem and Your Starting Point

15 April, 17:00 CEST | Ecosystem awareness, entrepreneurial starting point, and positionality

This session helps participants understand the context in which they are building their creative work, identify opportunities and constraints around them, and start shaping their venture plan from a realistic starting point.

Expected outputs
Ecosystem snapshot, starting-point reflection, first venture outline.

Resources
Lean Venture Plan Template, Ecosystem and Position Mapping Worksheet.

Session 2. From Idea to Offer and Audience

22 April, 17:00 CEST | Offer clarity and audience definition, facilitated by Alex Craciun, VP on Future Skills @GEYC & President @Oportune

This session focuses on turning a broad idea or creative practice into a clearer offer and a more defined audience. It strengthens the foundation of the venture plan.

Expected outputs
Offer statement and first audience profile.

Resources
Offer and Audience Worksheet, Audience Profile Template.

Session 3. Validation, Positioning, and Communication

29 April, 17:00 CEST | Validation, communication, and visibility, facilitated by Joanna Mielcarek, President @Euromuevete

This session helps participants test relevance, define how they are different, and communicate their work more clearly in realistic ways.

Expected outputs
Validation insights, positioning statement, communication direction.

Resources
Validation Log and Feedback Tracker, Positioning and Communication Planner.

Session 4. Business Basics, Revenue, and Support Pathways

6 May, 17:00 CEST | Pricing, support access, and realistic growth options, facilitated by Gilles Evrard Essuman, founder @Resopa

This session introduces accessible business basics for creative entrepreneurs and explores realistic revenue, support, and funding pathways.

Expected outputs
Basic revenue outline, support map, one concrete next opportunity.

Resources
Revenue and Pricing Basics Worksheet, Funding and Support Mapping Sheet.

Session 5. Action Plan, Mentoring, and Venture Plan Consolidation

13 May, 17:00 CEST | Action planning, continuity, and draft venture plan

The final session consolidates previous outputs into a realistic short term roadmap and a draft venture plan, while connecting participants to future support and continuity.

Expected outputs
30 and 90 day action plan, draft venture plan consolidation, next support step.

Resources
30 and 90 Day Action Plan Template, Final Venture Plan Consolidation Checklist.

Apply now

Application form link: https://forms.gle/qPK7aXM6DLZ9WRdg6

Application deadline: 13.04.2026

Selection results date: starting with 10.04.2026

Number of spots available: 20

APPLY NOW

Open call - [ES-818] Campaigners, 14.05.2026-21.05.2026, Mollina, Spain

2026-03-23T18:19:00.001+02:00

Key Information

Dates:	14/05/2026 - 21/05/2026
Arrival day:	14/05/2026
Departure day:	21/05/2026
Location:	Mollina, Málaga, Spain
Participants needed:	6 (5 participants + 1 group leader) participants from Romania
Deadline to apply:	29/03/2026 via geyc.ro/mobility

💡 About the Project

Campaigners"" is an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange focused on the intersection of digital creativity and civic engagement. In a world dominated by fast-paced digital content, social causes often struggle to gain visibility. This project empowers young people to use storytelling, videography, and social media to design impactful campaigns that promote volunteering and active citizenship.

As a follow-up to the Training Course “Through Markers & Lenses,” this exchange turns theory into action. Participants will work in international teams to explore how digital content can influence attitudes and inspire others to become active in their communities. The program is hands-on, focusing on the technical side of filming and editing, as well as the soft skills of message design and public speaking.

✨ Highlight: This project is hosted by EuroMuévete and supported by the Erasmus+ Programme.

🎯 Objectives

Develop storytelling competences, including scriptwriting and message design;
Practice videography skills, including filming techniques, basic editing, and visual language;
Design and produce real digital campaigns focused on promoting volunteering;
Strengthen creativity, self-confidence, and communication skills in international teams;

👥 Target Group

Participants: Aged 18–30 years old;
Group Leader: Aged 18+ (no upper age limit), preferably with youth work experience or a past participant of "Through Markers & Lenses";
Young people from diverse backgrounds (rural/urban) or facing fewer opportunities;
Individuals interested in video-making, activism, and social media campaigns;
Motivated to develop creative skills and work in an intercultural environment.

🏠 About the Location

Mollina, Málaga, Spain – a municipality in the region of Antequera, Andalusia.

🏡 Venue: CEULAJ (Centro Eurolatinoamericano de Juventud). This is a specialized youth center equipped for educational programs and outdoor activities.

Participants will stay in shared rooms (2-3 people) with mixed nationalities and same gender;

3 meals and 2 coffee breaks provided per day;

A dedicated bus will transport participants from Málaga to the venue on arrival day;

More info about the venue: https://ceulaj.injuve.es/en

🚆 How to Get There

Participants should travel to Málaga Airport (AGP);

A meeting point in Málaga will be arranged for the 18:00 shuttle bus to the venue on May 14th;

Return transport to Málaga will leave the venue at 10:00 on May 21st;

✉️ Travel plans must be approved by the organizers: community@geyc.ro in line with GEYC's Travel Policy

💶 Financial Details

✅ Covered by Erasmus+:

100% accommodation and meals

Travel reimbursement up to 275 EUR upon presenting all justifying documents.

✈️ Travel Policy

Only economy/basic fare tickets approved from your location in Romania and back to Romania.

All travel plans must be pre-approved by organizers

Reimbursement in EUR after mobility.. Check here the applicable rates for the month of payment.

Do not buy any travel tickets before receiving final confirmation.
Wait for an official selection confirmation email from the organizers before booking your trip.

Keep and store all travel documents properly.
You must provide all the following for reimbursement:

Invoices (saved as PDFs – see how to do it here)
Boarding passes (physical copies or screenshots)
Physical tickets for any bus, train, or local transport used

All travel documents should be uploaded to Google Drive, in a personal folder named after you (for example: Firstname_Lastname_TravelDocs).

Important: Missing or incomplete travel documents may result in delayed or reduced reimbursement.

We are going green 💚. Check out the Travel Policy at GEYC which might differ from other projects you joined before.

📘 Important Information

Health insurance: EHIC or private policy required

Travel documents: Valid ID/passport (6+ months)

Youthpass certificate: awarded at the end of the mobility.

Înscrie-te acum ✍️

News - World Water Day: Launch of the Water4EU Manifesto requesting 1M EUR EU funding for public authorities | Free drinking water 💧

2026-03-22T14:07:09.074+02:00

Water4EU Manifesto

This manifesto is more than a call for policy change; it is a call for collective responsibility.

The Water4EU Manifesto calls on EU institutions, Member States and local authorities to act now and adopt these measures as part of a coordinated strategy to make free drinking water accessible. As Europe enters a new era shaped by climate pressures, increasing heatwaves, and growing water stress, ensuring access to safe drinking water in public spaces becomes a matter of urgency, dignity, and resilience.

By aligning our efforts with the values of equity, sustainability, and democratic participation, we have the opportunity to transform how water is understood and governed across Europe. Water4EU stands as a platform for collaboration, where citizens, especially young people, can actively contribute to shaping solutions that respond to real needs.

The future of water in Europe depends on the choices we make today. Access to water must no longer be treated as a privilege, but as a shared responsibility and a guaranteed right. Together, we can build a Europe where water is accessible to all, and where no one is left behind.

Introduction

Access to safe and free drinking water is a fundamental human right and a public good, yet across Europe it remains uneven, restricted, or monetised, especially in high-traffic public spaces such as airports, train stations, schools, and public institutions. This gap disproportionately affects young people, children, elders, and vulnerable groups, while contributing to the overuse of single-use plastic bottles and the environmental and social costs associated with them. Climate change and extreme heat events, which are increasing in frequency and intensity across Europe, exacerbate these challenges, making the lack of public water access a pressing concern for human health, equity, and sustainability.

The Water4EU project addresses this fundamental yet often overlooked issue. It builds upon a proven foundation of grassroots activism and youth-led advocacy, particularly the KA154 Erasmus+ project “Thirsty for Solutions” in Romania. This campaign emerged in 2024 following a critical heatwave incident at Otopeni Airport, where a ventilation failure during five days of extreme heat left travelers without access to water. Together with the pressure from multiple stakeholders and the resulting advocacy led, by February 2026, to free potable water at Otopeni and Băneasa Airport and soon the installation of potable water fountains, a tangible demonstration of how youth-led initiatives can directly influence public policy and infrastructure.

While the “Thirsty for Solutions” campaign laid the groundwork at the national level, Water4EU scales this validated model to a continental level, striving to make access to free drinking water a standard European right. The project creates a transnational youth network and strengthens grassroots organisations, bridging the gap between local activism and EU-level policy reform. Anchored in the EU values of human dignity, equality, and sustainability, Water4EU emphasizes that safe drinking water must be guaranteed as a public good rather than a privilege. Youth and civil society are calling for water justice and water resilience. Through initiatives like the Thirsty for Solutions Ambassadors, young people are shaping youth-driven policy recommendations for Europe, advocating for equitable access to water, resilient infrastructure and inclusive governance. Their voices are central to transforming grassroots advocacy into EU-level action and ensuring that water rights are protected for all.

Water4EU aligns closely with existing EU frameworks and strategic priorities, including the Water Framework Directive, the EU Water Resilience Strategy, the ECI Right to Water and WaterWiseEU campaign and with the key takeaways from the One-Day Stakeholder Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, in connection with the High-Level Preparatory Meeting for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference. By promoting transnational cooperation, youth participation in democratic life, and structured dialogue with policymakers, the project translates grassroots advocacy into coordinated European action.

This manifesto calls on EU institutions and policymakers to take urgent action: guarantee free potable water in public spaces, strengthen infrastructure, and empower citizens, particularly young people, to participate in shaping water governance.

Water4EU envisions a Europe where water is accessible, sustainable, and resilient—a Europe where no one has to ask the simple question: “Why is drinking water still a privilege in public spaces?”

Our Vision

Water4EU envisions a Europe where:

Water is not a luxury, but a human right: accessible to all, without barriers.
Water as a public good: protected, sustainably managed and freely available in public spaces.
Youth are co-creators: actively shaping water governance, infrastructure, and climate-resilient solutions.

Youth Principles and Perspectives

The Water4EU Manifesto is grounded in the lived experiences, expectations, and urgency expressed by young people during the Bootcamp of Young Multipliers (19-22 March 2026), as part of the „Thirsty for Solutions” KA154 Erasmus+ Project. Through participatory workshops and consultations, youth voices clearly highlight that access to free drinking water is not only a matter of infrastructure, but of dignity, equity, and climate resilience.

Their concerns are further reflected in emerging legislative and civic initiatives at national level. In Romania, proposals such as “Apă pentru Români” (“Water for the Romanian population“) advocate for a structural shift in how water access is guaranteed in public spaces. The initiative calls for a legal obligation for public institutions, healthcare units, educational facilities, and transport operators to provide free access to drinking water, particularly in waiting areas and transit zones.

Water access must reflect real everyday needs

Young people consistently identified a critical gap in access to free drinking water in the spaces they use daily. High-traffic and essential public areas such as transport hubs (train stations, airports, public transport), educational institutions, parks, and urban public spaces are among the most frequently mentioned locations where water is either unavailable, inaccessible, or not safe to drink. These responses reveal a clear disconnect between policy commitments and lived reality: water access is often missing precisely where it is most needed. For youth, access to water is a necessity that should be seamlessly integrated into public infrastructure and urban planning.

Water must be a universal norm, not an exception

Across responses, a strong and consistent message emerges: free drinking water should be “a normality”, “a right”, and “accessible to all.” Young people envision a Europe where water is:

Universal – available to everyone, regardless of socio-economic status.
Safe and high-quality – clean, regulated, and trustworthy.
Accessible – easy to find, free of charge, and present in all public spaces.
Protected – managed responsibly to prevent waste and ensure long-term availability.

Water, climate change and heat stress are interconnected crises

Youth perspectives strongly connect water accessibility with the growing impacts of climate change and heat stress. Participants point to water pollution, overconsumption, and inefficient management systems as key challenges that threaten long-term water sustainability. Their messages reflect both urgency and awareness: water scarcity is no longer a distant threat, but an emerging reality; extreme heat amplifies the need for immediate hydration; and inaction today risks turning water into an inaccessible resource for future generations.

From Consultation to Co-Creation

These insights reaffirm that effective water governance must be participatory, inclusive, and grounded in real needs. Integrating youth perspectives is not optional; it is essential for designing policies that are relevant, equitable, and future-proof. From their perspective, cities and public authorities must take a more proactive and systemic role in ensuring water resilience. Key priorities identified include:

Investing in modern, sustainable, and inclusive water infrastructure;
Ensuring transparent and efficient use of public and EU funds dedicated to water services;
Strengthening monitoring, accountability, and public trust in water governance systems;
Integrating water access and management into broader urban planning and climate adaptation strategies.

A CLEAR MESSAGE TO DECISION-MAKERS: ACT NOW

"Water is life. It is a fundamental right, not a privilege and urgent, decisive action is needed now to ensure equitable access in the face of climate change. Youth are not only beneficiaries of water policies, but key stakeholders and co-creators of solutions."

Commitments

We commit to advancing the recognition of free and safe drinking water in public spaces as a fundamental right across Europe. Through Water4EU, we aim to amplify the voices of young people and communities who experience daily gaps in water access, transforming their lived realities into concrete policy demands. Our goal is to foster a culture of civic engagement where citizens are not only beneficiaries of water policies, but active contributors to shaping them.

We commit to promoting transparency, accountability, and evidence-based advocacy by monitoring progress, supporting open data initiatives, and sharing knowledge on effective and inclusive water access solutions. By building strong partnerships with civil society, public authorities, and European institutions, we seek to bridge the gap between grassroots initiatives and decision-making processes.

By promoting public water infrastructure, Water4EU reduces CO2 emissions and single-use plastic waste while ensuring equitable access to essential resources, especially for youth and vulnerable communities. The initiative directly contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and specific targets:

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Target 6.1: Safe and affordable drinking water for all.

• Target 6.8: Support local engagement in water and sanitation management.

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.2: Promote universal social, economic and political inclusion.

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.3: Inclusive and sustainable urbanization.

• Target 11.6: Reduce the environmental impact of cities, including waste management.

• Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green and public spaces.

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.2: Sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

• Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention and reduction.

Goal 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related disasters.

• Target 13.3: Build knowledge and capacity to meet climate change.

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.G: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development.

• Target 17.H: Encourage effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.

Through strategic partnerships, public campaigns, and cross-border collaboration, we will continue to challenge systemic gaps, promote sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics, and advocate for a structural shift towards accessible, climate-resilient water systems. Water4EU will act as both a platform for mobilisation and a driver of policy change at European level.

Take Action

What you can do to support the Manifesto:

Share it in your social media, use the #Water4EU hashtag and tag us.
Sign ✍️ to support the manifesto (on behalf of your organisation or as an individual).

Policy Demands/Call to action

Ensuring universal access to safe drinking water in public spaces requires a combination of immediate action, targeted funding, and long-term policy commitments. Building on EU targets, initiatives and directions, but also on a global momentum and stakeholder recommendations from the 2026 UN Water Conference preparatory process, Water4EU proposes concrete measures that can deliver tangible results while empowering local communities, promoting civic engagement, and aligning with European priorities for climate resilience, social inclusion, and sustainability. Water must be treated as a cross-cutting enabler of sustainable development, connecting climate resilience, public health, social equity, and democratic participation.

The Water4EU Vouchers: 1M EUR for Local Authorities

Pilot Projects and Preparation Actions (PPPA)

Request: Launching the Water4EU Voucher Pilot by the European Commission, modelled on the WiFi4EU framework, by allocating €1 million to support 100 municipalities with €10,000 vouchers for the installation, renovation or cleaning of public drinking water fountains.

Reasoning & Impact:

This is a low-bureaucracy, high-visibility initiative that demonstrates immediate EU action on water resilience. It responds directly to the identified global need to scale practical, visible, and climate-resilient solutions while closing the gap between policy ambition and implementation. By targeting municipalities directly, the pilot ensures rapid deployment of infrastructure where it is needed most.

Implementation Framework:

💧 Democratic Resilience: Priority should be given to climate-vulnerable regions. Municipalities must conduct citizen consultations to identify community needs and optimal fountain locations before requesting funding, strengthening civic engagement.
💧 Digital Infrastructure: The pilot will promote the mapping of public water points before and after the programme. An EU-wide open data platform will facilitate coordination between EU, national, and community levels, helping locals and tourists find potable water sources easier.
💧 Impact Monitoring: Systems should include real-time monitoring of liters dispensed, plastic waste avoided, and water quality metrics.
💧 Urban Planning: Encouraging municipalities to integrate water access into broader urban planning and long-term sustainability goals.

"From policy ambition to visible local implementation."

EU Youth Programmes Joint Priority on Water Resilience

Erasmus+ 2027; ESC 2027; Erasmus+ 2028-2034

Request: Designating “Water Access, Public Hydration, and Climate Equity” as a shared Thematic High Priority Area for the 2027 Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) calls, while ensuring its structural integration into the Post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

Strategic Long-Term Alignment:

With negotiations for the new MFF and the 2027 priorities currently underway, we call for a structural shift that positions water as a cross-cutting enabler of the Green Transition and Social Inclusion. By bridging these two frameworks, the EU can move from reactive measures to a proactive strategy where youth-led climate adaptation is a permanent pillar of European solidarity and education funding.

Strategic Impact & Resource Allocation:

💧 Erasmus+ Policy Leadership: Funding KA2/KA3 projects to scale youth-driven policy recommendations, ensuring water rights are embedded in democratic life and non-formal education.
💧 ESC Operational Solidarity: Mobilizing large-scale volunteering teams to provide hydration support and plastic-reduction campaigns in heat-vulnerable cities across the Union.
💧 Structural Inclusion: Responding to 2026 UN Water Conference stakeholder recommendations by ensuring that the new MFF provides continuous, resourced, and meaningful participation for youth and marginalized communities in water governance.
💧 MFF Climate Resilience: Leveraging youth programmes to act as a bridge between high-level EU climate policy and local urban resilience, focusing on equitable access to public infrastructure.

"Securing the future of water resilience through youth actions in the heart of the European budget."

A “Blue Deal” for Public Access: Embedding Water in EU Systems

MFF 2028–2034 • Cohesion Policy

Request: Integrating a “Water Access Guarantee” into all Cohesion Policy and Urban Development funds for the 2028–2034 period, making the development of free drinking water infrastructure mandatory in all EU-funded public spaces.

Strategic Rationale:

To ensure structural and lasting change, water access must be institutionalized across EU funding and governance frameworks, reflecting the global call to integrate water across all sectors. Linking water access directly to EU funding ensures long-term, legally-backed infrastructure improvements. By making hydration points a requirement for Cohesion funding, water access becomes a standard component of sustainable urban development, rather than an optional add-on.

Long-term Impact:

💧 Permanent Infrastructure: Guarantees water access as a permanent, non-negotiable feature of all future EU-funded urban development projects.
💧 Prioritizing Wellbeing: Encourages local governments to prioritize public health, sustainability, and citizen wellbeing as core metrics of successful development.
💧 EU-Wide Water Culture: Creates a visible, union-wide culture of recognition for water-conscious municipalities, setting a global standard for public resource management.
💧 Cross-Sectoral Synergy: Treats water as a cross-cutting enabler, connecting infrastructure spending with the European Green Deal and the Pillar of Social Rights.

"Transforming water from an optional amenity into a mandatory European right."

The European “Blue Label” for Cities

European Climate Pact • Voluntary Commitment

Request: Award the European “Blue Label” to municipalities that ensure at least one public drinking water fountain per 10,000 citizens as a minimum baseline, while encouraging higher density in high-traffic and heat-vulnerable areas.

Strategic Rationale:

To complement regulatory approaches, Water4EU proposes a voluntary commitment mechanism that rewards leadership. This baseline ensures universal coverage while allowing cities to scale up access based on local needs, population density, and climate risks. The initiative supports the development of broad-based public demand for water services, promoting leadership, equity, and accountability in water governance.

Strategic Impact:

💧 Political Competition: Creates positive "reputational competition" between European cities to achieve and exceed the Blue Label standards.
💧 Public Recognition: Increases visibility and public recognition of local water leadership, making water access a point of civic pride.
💧 SDG Alignment: Encourages local commitments that align directly with EU sustainability goals, bringing cities closer to achieving the SDGs at the grassroots level.
💧 Accountability: Provides citizens with a clear, measurable metric to hold their local representatives accountable for public hydration infrastructure.

"Recognizing local leadership in the transition toward water-resilient cities."

Sign the Water4EU Manifesto

Sign the Manifesto

Endorse the Water4EU policy demands and join our European movement.

Full Name*

Email Address* Please use your institutional address if you sign on behalf of your organisation

Organisation (Optional) Organisational endorsements are a powerful way to support the Manifesto

Country*

Keep me updated on the Water4EU platform launch and future actions.

Our Journey: From Action to Policy

5th June 2024

Launching the "Thirsty for Solutions" campaign advocating for free drinking water at the Bucharest Airport.

March 2025

The KA154 Erasmus+ project was officially approved and commenced implementation.

October 2025

Danube Caravan: Youth from Călărași, Fetești, Brăila, and Galați met with elected policy makers to discuss public water needs.

February 2026

Major Victory: Bucharest Airport announced that free drinking water is now accessible to all travelers.

March 2026

Thirsty for Solutions Bootcamp: 28 youth from 8 communities in Romania gathered to train and plan local actions for water access.

22nd March 2026

International Day of Water: Official global launch of the Water4EU Manifesto.

5th June 2026

Planned launch of the water4.eu digital platform to coordinate European advocacy.

Sete de soluții / Thirsty for solutions

Period: Mar 2025 - Oct 2026

Funded by:
Erasmus+ KA154 (Youth Participation)

Project ID:
2024-3-RO01-KA154-YOU-000287055

Aim: To support sustainable development for the younger generation and to raise awareness about the need for free potable water in public spaces across Romania.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

News - Launching DEEP Stories: Understanding the Stories Behind Disinformation

2026-03-19T17:35:00.003+02:00

We often assume that misinformation spreads because people lack information. But what if the real driver is something deeper: personal experiences, identity, frustration, or trust?

Project overview

🧠 DEEP (Unveiling Deep Stories and Boosting Emotional Intelligence to Empower Citizens Against Disinformation) goes beyond facts to explore the emotional layer behind beliefs and turns these insights into practical tools for young people across Europe. DEEP brings together NGOs, researchers, and educators to work directly with young people through research, experimentation, and real-life interventions.

About

📅 Duration: February 2026 – January 2028

🌍 Network: 6 partners across Europe:

Romania 🇷🇴

Germany 🇩🇪

Bulgaria 🇧🇬

Serbia 🇷🇸

Poland 🇵🇱

Italy 🇮🇹

Why DEEP is different

DEEP addresses the human side of disinformation: emotions, identity, and trust.
This makes it more realistic, more relatable, and more effective in the long term.

❌ Fact-checking only

❌ Surface media literacy

✅ Emotions & identity

1. Collecting deep stories

Focus groups & in-depth interviews
Diverse perspectives (social, political, cultural)
Identifying emotional drivers: fear, distrust, frustration

👉 Output: European comparative report on emotions & disinformation

2. Designing interventions

Insight Walks format:

90-120 min guided city walks
6-12 interactive stops
Audio, video, quizzes

Real-life narratives & media examples
Understanding emotional influence
Recognizing manipulation techniques

3. Testing in real life

1–2 interventions per country
50–60 participants/country

~300
participants

6
countries

4. Measuring impact

Pre & post surveys
Cross-country data analysis
Comparative results

👉 Focus: emotional awareness, disinformation detection, trust

5. Scaling results

National events
European conference
Guidelines & policy recommendations

Our role

🇷🇴 In Romania

Focus groups & interviews
Insight Walk implementation
National dissemination event

At European level

Leads intervention phase (WP11)
Coordinates implementation in all countries
Ensures quality & consistency
Develops key reports

GEYC is shaping how the project works in practice across Europe using non formal education methodology.

Get involved

Join DEEP and be part of a new approach to understanding and combating disinformation.

Opportunities will open for young people, facilitators, and community actors to test innovative formats and shape future tools.

Follow our updates

This project is funded by the European Union through the CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values), under the Citizens’ Engagement and Participation strand. Project ID: 101253717. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission’s CERV Programme. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

News - Noua generație de Ambasadori „Sete de Soluții” 2026 începe misiunea pentru acces la apă potabilă!

2026-03-16T18:21:00.004+02:00

Programul European Fellowship on Sustainable Development (EFSD) 2026, organizat de către GECY marchează începutul unei noi etape pentru inițiativa „Sete de Soluții” (STSL), aducând împreună 27 de tineri din România hotărâți să contribuie activ la schimbări reale în comunitățile lor. Pe parcursul a 7 luni, acești participanți vor deveni parte dintr-o rețea națională de tineri lideri, Ambasadori Sete de Soulții, care promovează accesul la apă potabilă gratuită în spațiile publice din comunitățile lor,

Momentul-cheie al programului este Bootcampul organizat în perioada 19–22 martie 2026, la Bran, unde participanții își vor dezvolta competențele necesare pentru a deveni ambasadori cu competețe dezvoltate în advocacy și participare.

Ce este un Ambasador STSL și ce va face

Un Ambasador STSL este un tânăr implicat activ în proiectul „Sete de Soluții”, care își asumă rolul de a reprezenta și promova cauza accesului la apă potabilă în comunitatea sa. Acești ambasadori vor:

Susține nevoile comunității lor în fața autorităților locale
Inițiază și implementează acțiuni și evenimente în școli, instituții și spații publice
Creează campanii de conștientizare
Mobilizează alți tineri să se implice în inițiative de sustenabilitate
Contribuie la dialogul cu factorii de decizie în domenii relevante

Prin acest rol, participanții își vor dezvolta competențe esențiale de advocacy, comunicare și leadership, devenind adevărați „young multipliers” – tineri capabili să inspire și să genereze schimbare la nivel local, național și european. În lunile următoare, acești ambasadori vor transforma ideile în acțiuni: vor organiza evenimente, vor lansa campanii și vor lucra direct cu comunitățile lor pentru a promova soluții sustenabile. Alături de ei, alumnii EFSD 2025 vor contribui ca mentori, oferind sprijin și ghidare pentru implementarea inițiativelor locale și pentru dezvoltarea unei rețele puternice de tineri implicați.

Ce este Fellowship-ul și care sunt etapele acestuia

EFSD este un program intensiv de învățare și acțiune, construit în jurul Obiectivelor de Dezvoltare Durabilă și al implicării civice active. Acesta se desfășoară în contextul Anului Internațional al Voluntariatului 2026, punând accent pe rolul tinerilor în dezvoltarea durabilă.

Programul include mai multe etape esențiale:

1. Sesiuni online de pregătire (6–14 martie 2026) - Participanții vor lua parte la trei sesiuni de învățare menite să le ofere bazele necesare în advocacy, politici publice și funcționarea administrației locale.

2. Bootcampul EFSD (19–22 martie 2026, Bran) - Un program intensiv în care tinerii vor învăța să dezvolte campanii digitale; să comunice eficient cu autoritățile și să creeze planuri de acțiune pentru comunitățile lor.

3. Zilele de Acțiune pentru Implicarea Comunității (22 aprilie – 5 iulie 2026) - Ambasadorii vor implementa planurile dezvoltate, organizând activități în jurul unor momente-cheie: Ziua Pământului (22 aprilie), Ziua Europei (9 mai) și Ziua Mediului (5 iunie)

4. Vizita de studiu la Bruxelles (23–25 septembrie 2026) - 10 dintre cei mai activi participanți vor avea oportunitatea de a interacționa direct cu factori de decizie europeni și de a înțelege mecanismele democratice la nivel european.

Faceți cunoștință cu Ambasadorii Sete de Soluții!

Remembrance Walks: Bucureștiul Comunist și #învizită la Memorialul Închisoarea Pitești

2026-03-13T12:13:00.001+02:00

Cum putem vorbi despre viitor fără să înțelegem trecutul? În cadrul Caravanei Munteniei, am integrat o dimensiune esențială: remembrance – procesul prin care ne amintim, învățăm și reflectăm asupra istoriei recente, pentru a construi comunități mai conștiente și mai responsabile.

🌍 Un început internațional, cu sens

În perioada Caravanei, am avut alături de noi facilitatori internaționali din organizațiile partenere:

Euro Mirada 🇪🇸

Ekonomska Klinika 🇭🇷

CIAPE 🇮🇹

Aceștia au venit în România nu doar pentru a contribui la activitățile educaționale din licee, ci și pentru a descoperi o parte importantă din istoria noastră recentă.

#RemembranceWalk în București

🔎 Ce a însemnat acest moment?

introducere în istoria comunismului din România
explorarea spațiilor simbolice din centrul Bucureștiului
dialog intercultural despre memorie, identitate și democrație

Participanții au descoperit povești despre instaurarea regimului comunist, despre controlul asupra societății și despre transformările urbane care încă definesc orașul de azi. Dincolo de informații, experiența a fost una profund reflexivă – o invitație la înțelegerea modului în care trecutul influențează prezentul.

Închisoarea Memorială Pitești

Pe 8 martie, echipa GEYC și facilitatorii internaționali au ajuns la Pitești – prima destinație a Caravanei. Aici, am participat la un tur ghidat al fostei închisori, astăzi muzeu memorial.

👉 Descoperă mai mult despre Memorialul Pitești

De ce este acest loc atât de important?

Închisoarea Pitești este cunoscută pentru unul dintre cele mai dure experimente de „reeducare” din perioada comunistă – Fenomenul Pitești (1949–1951).

tortură fizică și psihologică extremă
distrugerea identității și convingerilor
transformarea victimelor în instrumente ale opresiunii

Ce au experimentat participanții?

mărturii despre viața în detenție
explorarea spațiilor reale ale abuzurilor
reflecție asupra regimurilor totalitare

Vizita a fost un moment puternic emoțional, dar necesar – o lecție despre limitele umane, despre rezistență și despre importanța memoriei colective.

💬 De ce contează remembrance?

Gândire critică

Combaterea extremismului

Empatie civică

Activitățile de tip remembrance nu sunt doar despre trecut – ele creează contexte reale de învățare și conectează istoria României cu realitățile europene.

🔗 Tu cum contribui la memorie?

👉 Ce știi despre istoria comunității tale?
👉 Ce povești merită redescoperite?
👉 Cum poți transforma memoria în acțiune civică?

Această publicație a fost realizată în contextul unei mobilități de învățare din cadrul proiectului de acreditare Erasmus în domeniul Tineret / 2025-1-RO01-KA151-YOU-000299434. Finanțat de Uniunea Europeană. Punctele de vedere și opiniile exprimate aparțin, însă, exclusiv autorului (autorilor) și nu reflectă neapărat punctele de vedere ale Uniunii Europene sau ale Agenției Executive Europene pentru Educație și Cultură (EACEA). Nici Uniunea Europeană și nici EACEA nu pot fi considerate răspunzătoare pentru acestea.

News - Caravana Munteniei Wrap-up

2026-03-13T11:53:00.001+02:00

Caravana Munteniei a ajuns la final

În perioada 9–13 martie 2026, echipa GEYC, alături de facilitatori internaționali și parteneri locali, a desfășurat Caravana Munteniei în patru orașe din regiunea Muntenia: Pitești, Găești, Ploiești și Buzău, implicând aproape 200 de elevi de liceu în activități interactive de educație non-formală. Scopul caravanei a fost de a aduce mai aproape de tineri temele europene, politicile publice relevante, valorile Uniunii Europene și oportunitățile de care aceștia pot beneficia, într-un mod conectat la viața lor de zi cu zi și la aspirațiile lor de viitor.

Pe parcursul caravanei, am creat spații de dialog, reflecție și învățare în care elevii au putut explora cum se leagă deciziile europene de realitățile locale și de rolul pe care tinerii îl pot avea în societate.

Tematicile explorate în caravană

Atelierele au fost construite în jurul a patru teme esențiale pentru tineri:

Echitate intergenerațională
Echitatea intergenerațională este un subiect care capătă tot mai multă atenție la nivel european. Comisia Europeană a adoptat recent prima Strategie a Uniunii Europene privind echitatea intergenerațională, coordonată de Comisarul European Glenn Micallef. În cadrul caravanei, am discutat despre de ce deciziile luate astăzi trebuie să țină cont de bunăstarea generațiilor viitoare și despre modul în care vocile tinerilor au contribuit la conturarea acestei agende, inclusiv prin consultările din cadrul Panelului cetățenilor europeni, la Bruxelles, la al căror proces de consultare a participat și GEYC.

Vezi strategia UE
Implicarea tinerilor
Am explorat de ce implicarea civică este importantă și cum pot tinerii să contribuie activ la comunitățile lor și la procesele democratice, devenind actori implicați în dezvoltarea societății.
Pregătire și reziliență
Tema pregătirii și rezilienței a fost abordată pornind de la strategia Comisiei Europene privind tematica Preparedness and Resilience, precum și de la #READY, o inițiativă dezvoltată de GEYC care sprijină tinerii să înțeleagă riscurile, să își consolideze nivelul de pregătire și să contribuie la construirea unor comunități mai reziliente.

Află mai multe
Oportunități europene pentru tineri
Am discutat despre oportunitățile disponibile pentru tineri la nivel european, de la voluntariat și schimburi de experiență, până la programe educaționale și de dezvoltare profesională accesibile în întreaga Europă.

Descoperă oportunitățile

Ce rămâne după această ediție

Le mulțumim celor aproape 200 de tineri care au participat activ, au pus întrebări relevante și au contribuit cu idei valoroase în fiecare oraș. Feedbackul primit confirmă încă o dată cât de importante sunt aceste spații de dialog, învățare non-formală și conectare directă cu teme europene relevante.

Caravana Munteniei se încheie aici, dar conversațiile continuă. Privim cu entuziasm spre următoarele ediții și spre noi comunități în care vom aduce Europa mai aproape de tineri.

Events - Digital Safe, Future Ready round table - conclusions and next steps

2026-03-12T15:40:00.007+02:00

[EN]

Digital Is No Longer the Future, It Is Already the PresentIn a context where the lives of children and adolescents are increasingly unfolding at the intersection of online and offline, the Digital Safe, Future Ready round table, organized by our partners at Smart Everything Everywhere, brought together representatives of public institutions, the education sector, civil society, digital platforms, the tech industry, research, the legal field, and, crucially, young people themselves. The tone of the discussion was set from the very beginning by an idea that almost all participants kept returning to: we are no longer talking about a digital future, because digital is no longer something that is coming, but the environment in which children are already growing up. “The decisions we make today will have a medium- and long-term impact” was one of the key messages in the opening, reinforced by another important warning: “The world is no longer the digital future, it is already digital.” For this reason, the discussion was not only about identifying problems, but above all about formulating credible, practical, and sufficiently nuanced solutions to respond to a complex reality.

Technology, Learning, and the Question of Autonomy

A major theme was the relationship between technology, education, and autonomy. Several speakers insisted that technology is not, in itself, either good or bad, but a tool that can support learning or, on the contrary, amplify vulnerabilities that already exist. At the same time, it was made clear that simply having technology present in children’s lives does not mean they have real digital competence. Romania has children and adolescents who spend a great deal of time online, but this does not automatically translate into the ability to critically evaluate information, manage risks, or use digital tools in a conscious way. One participant captured this gap vividly by saying that, in many situations, we have the tool but still do not know how to use it properly: “We have the fork, but we don’t know what to do with it,” while another added that education is not just about access to information, but about “structured and verified information.” In the same line of thought, it was emphasized that the real stake is cognitive autonomy, the ability of children to understand the digital world, not just consume it.

When Online Safety Becomes an Emotional and Relational Issue

The discussion quickly moved into the most sensitive area, the emotional and relational impact of technology. Serious concerns were expressed about dependency, retreating into artificial relationships, and the tendency of some adolescents to seek validation, companionship, or even substitutes for real relationships in artificial intelligence. “We need to be as cognitively autonomous as possible and understand this world as well as we can,” one participant said, warning that without a real understanding of the limits of these tools, children risk projecting their emotional needs into spaces that cannot respond to them authentically. Another speaker went even further and said that, if artificial intelligence is not used properly, it can install “a kind of laziness of thought.” For this very reason, the round table insisted that education for online safety cannot be reduced to technical rules or parental controls, but must also include conversations about relationships, emotional balance, autonomy, responsibility, and meaning.

Why Education Was at the Center of the Entire Discussion

Education was by far the central point of the entire conversation. Almost every intervention returned to the idea that we will not have children who are truly prepared for the digital environment as long as teachers themselves are not sufficiently trained to integrate technology in a critical, pedagogical, and relevant way. It was emphasized that digital infrastructure in schools has developed faster than human capacity, and this has created a visible gap: devices, platforms, and equipment exist, but they are not being used to their full potential. One phrase that remained especially strong in the discussion was this: “We are not going to have children with digital competences as long as we do not have teachers with digital competences.”

No Prepared Children Without Prepared Teachers

Equally important, several participants pointed out that the problem is not only what we introduce into the curriculum, but how it is actually taught in the classroom. In the final interventions, the focus shifted very clearly from lists of subjects and content to methods, reflection, critical thinking, and applied pedagogy. In other words, it is no longer enough to say that media education, digital pedagogy, or key competences exist in policy documents. The real issue is how they actually transform the child’s experience in school.

Why Schools Cannot Carry This Responsibility Alone

Just as strong was the message that schools cannot carry this responsibility alone. The family was constantly mentioned as the first space where digital habits are formed, but also as one of the most vulnerable links in this ecosystem. Participants spoke openly about parents who believe a child is “safe” as long as they are at home with a phone in hand, about the lack of parental controls, or about the false impression that online exposure is harmless if it does not immediately produce visible problems.

The Family Factor, Safety Starts at Home

One teacher shared that, in a middle school classroom, students perceived the phone as their “safety element,” and being without it caused real anxiety. In the same direction, a voice from the non-formal education field observed that intervention in third or fourth grade is already too late for some children, because by then they have already developed strong digital habits. One student offered perhaps one of the most balanced conclusions of the day, explaining that in his case what worked was not harsh restrictions, but clear priorities and constant communication with his parents. Asked what had helped him the most, he spoke about the importance of a relationship in which his parents “managed to become two experts in my own field,” meaning in his own life. From this perspective, the round table sent a very clear message: educating parents is not a secondary issue, but a real condition for children’s safety.

Regulation Matters, But It Is Not Enough

On the regulatory side, the discussion was one of the most nuanced. Existing obligations for platforms were presented, especially those stemming from the European regulation on digital services, as well as the investigations already opened regarding the protection of minors, addictive design, and safety on large platforms. At the same time, participants discussed the legislative proposals currently being developed in Romania, the difficulties of implementation, and the risks of simplistic measures. “I don’t think regulation will solve even half of the problem,” said one participant from the legislative field, while another warned that certain bans “will look very good in a photo,” but will produce limited or even nonexistent results.

Regulation Matters, But It Is Not Enough

The conversation touched on the difficulties of real age verification, the lack of sufficiently robust public digital infrastructure, the unclear definition of harmful content, and the tendency of institutions to pass responsibility from one to another. From here emerged one of the strongest ideas of the discussion: before adopting politically visible measures, we need solutions that are implementable, proportionate, and aligned with technical, social, and legal reality.

The Role of Platforms, Tech Companies, and Digital Design

The conversation gained even more depth when voices from the technology sector, the software industry, and platforms joined in. Representatives of this sector supported the need for stronger protections for minors, but also warned that strict and centralized identity verification can create other serious problems, from security and privacy risks to the exclusion of certain categories of users. The idea of risk-based approaches was promoted, where the strictest measures should apply to high-risk services rather than to all digital tools across the board. In the same spirit, there was strong emphasis on more accessible parental control tools, responsible design, and technical solutions that do not turn platforms into the “internet police,” while also not leaving the entire burden on families and schools.

From Risk to Opportunity, Reimagining Technology in Education

Another important point was that digital should not be seen only as a threat, but also as an opportunity. Rather than excluding technology from educational settings, several speakers argued that it should be redirected toward meaningful purposes: team projects, learning missions, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and the development of real competences for the future.

Why Young People Must Be Part of the Conversation

One particularly valuable moment of the debate came when the perspectives of young people and of organizations working directly with them were brought to the center. It was explicitly said that adults often talk about what children are experiencing without having them sufficiently present in the conversation. One participant formulated perhaps the most powerful challenge of the day: if we do not find the perfect solution immediately, what do young people do in the meantime, and what can we learn from their instincts for adaptation? From this perspective came some of the clearest calls for collaboration, for genuinely consulting children and adolescents, and for building a shared language among all the actors involved.

Adelina Dragomir’s Key Message, Start Earlier and Teach Differently

Adelina Dragomir insisted that digital citizenship education starts far too late and that methods matter just as much as messages. She spoke about the need for an approach based on experience, comparison, reflection, and the ability to react in situations of online abuse, rather than merely transmitting abstract information. She also highlighted one of the important lessons from the field: without prepared adults, there can be no prepared children, and without a shared language between schools, parents, organizations, and decision-makers, children receive contradictory messages and end up alone in a space that adults claim to control, but often do not understand well enough.

Online Safety and the Structural Problems Behind It

There were also interventions that widened the frame and moved the discussion beyond immediate safety toward the social and political effects of a generation that is overexposed, tired, polarized, and increasingly disconnected from reality. People spoke about insufficient sleep, chronic fatigue among adolescents, social isolation, radicalization, poverty, functional illiteracy, and the lack of community infrastructure that could offer real alternatives to time spent online. In this sense, some participants reminded the room that the issue of online safety cannot be separated from the structural problems of society.

Community Spaces, Parents, and the Missing Offline Alternatives

A closed library, the lack of community centers, the absence of safe spaces for children and young people, the lack of a sufficiently flexible education system, or the lack of coherent investment in human resources all indirectly become factors that push children even further into the digital environment as their only space of refuge, belonging, or meaning. That is why the round table did not treat technology as an isolated problem, but as a mirror that brings older and deeper fragilities to the surface.

What the Round Table Suggested for the Future

Looking ahead, the discussion outlined several directions for action that came up consistently, even if they were phrased differently. The first is the need to lower the age at which digital and media education begin, in ways adapted to children’s development. The second is serious and continuous investment in teachers, not just in equipment, because without trained, reflective teachers who are able to engage with the digital realities of their students, any strategy remains on paper. The third is supporting parents and communities, so that the conversation about online safety does not remain trapped within schools or institutions. To these are added three other very clear directions: more careful regulation of addictive design and algorithms that encourage compulsive behavior, the development of credible technical mechanisms for age estimation or verification, and the creation of relevant, attractive, and accessible offline alternatives for children and adolescents. Behind all these ideas remained one strong conclusion: there is no single, fast, and perfect solution, but there is a shared responsibility to act more intelligently, more coherently, and earlier.

From Control to Preparation, A Different Way Forward

The Digital Safe, Future Ready round table did not produce a simple list of conclusions, nor did it aim to. Instead, it achieved something perhaps more important: it showed that children’s online safety cannot be reduced to panic, to prohibition, or to uncritical technological optimism. It requires lucidity, collaboration, and a shift in focus from total control to real preparation. Perhaps one of the most relevant ideas of the entire discussion was this: children should not be kept out of the digital world at all costs, but helped to become independent navigators in a world that will remain digital. And for that to happen, adults must first learn to understand it themselves.

[RO]

Digitalul nu mai este viitorul, este deja prezentul

Într-un context în care viața copiilor și adolescenților se desfășoară tot mai mult la intersecția dintre online și offline, masa rotundă Digital Safe, Future Ready, organizată de partnerii noștri de la Smart Everything Everywhere, a adus la aceeași masă reprezentanți ai instituțiilor publice, ai mediului educațional, ai societății civile, ai platformelor digitale, ai industriei tech, ai cercetării, ai mediului juridic și, esențial, ai tinerilor. Tonul discuției a fost setat încă de la început de o idee asupra căreia aproape toți participanții au revenit: nu mai vorbim despre un viitor digital, pentru că digitalul nu mai este ceva ce urmează, ci mediul în care copiii cresc deja. „Deciziile de astăzi vor avea un impact pe termen mediu și lung”, a fost unul dintre mesajele-cheie ale deschiderii, completat de un alt avertisment important: „Lumea nu mai este viitorul digital, este deja digital”. Din acest motiv, discuția nu a urmărit doar identificarea problemelor, ci mai ales formularea unor soluții credibile, aplicabile și suficient de nuanțate pentru a răspunde unei realități complexe.

Dincolo de timpul petrecut pe în fața ecranului

O temă majoră a fost raportul dintre tehnologie, educație și autonomie. Mai mulți vorbitori au insistat că tehnologia nu este, în sine, nici bună, nici rea, ci un instrument care poate sprijini învățarea sau, dimpotrivă, poate amplifica vulnerabilități deja existente. În același timp, s-a spus clar că simpla prezență a tehnologiei în viața copiilor nu înseamnă competență digitală reală. România are copii și adolescenți care petrec mult timp online, dar acest lucru nu se traduce automat prin capacitatea de a evalua critic informația, de a gestiona riscurile sau de a folosi instrumentele digitale în mod conștient. Un participant a sintetizat foarte plastic acest decalaj spunând că, în multe situații, avem instrumentul, dar nu știm încă să-l folosim corect: „Avem furculița, dar nu știm ce să facem cu ea”, iar altul a completat că educația nu înseamnă doar acces la informație, ci „informație structurată și verificată”. În aceeași logică, s-a subliniat că adevărata miză este autonomia cognitivă, capacitatea copiilor de a înțelege lumea digitală, nu doar de a o consuma.

Când siguranța online devine o chestiune emoțională și relațională

Discuția a intrat repede și în zona cea mai sensibilă, cea a impactului emoțional și relațional al tehnologiei. Au fost exprimate îngrijorări serioase legate de dependență, de refugiul în relații artificiale și de tendința unor adolescenți de a căuta în inteligența artificială validare, companie sau chiar substitut pentru relații reale. „Trebuie să fim cât mai autonomi cognitiv și să înțelegem cât mai bine această lume”, a spus unul dintre participanți, avertizând că, fără o înțelegere reală a limitelor acestor instrumente, copiii riscă să își proiecteze nevoile emoționale în spații care nu le pot răspunde autentic. Un alt vorbitor a mers și mai departe și a spus că, dacă inteligența artificială nu este folosită corect, ea poate instala „un fel de lene a gândirii”. Tocmai de aceea, masa rotundă a insistat asupra faptului că educația pentru siguranță online nu poate fi redusă la reguli tehnice sau la control parental, ci trebuie să includă și discuții despre relații, echilibru emoțional, autonomie, responsabilitate și sens.

De ce educația a fost în centrul întregii discuții

Educația a fost, de departe, punctul central al întregii conversații. Aproape fiecare intervenție a revenit la ideea că nu vom avea copii cu adevărat pregătiți pentru mediul digital atât timp cât profesorii nu sunt ei înșiși suficient formați pentru a integra tehnologia în mod critic, pedagogic și relevant. S-a subliniat că infrastructura digitală din școli s-a dezvoltat mai repede decât resursa umană, iar acest lucru a produs o ruptură vizibilă: există dispozitive, platforme și echipamente, dar ele nu sunt folosite la potențialul lor maxim. O formulare care a rămas puternic în discuție a fost aceasta: „Noi nu o să avem copii care au competențe digitale, atât timp cât nu avem profesori care au competențe digitale”.

Nu există copii pregătiți fără profesori pregătiți

La fel de important, mai mulți participanți au atras atenția că problema nu este doar ce introducem în curriculum, ci cum se predă efectiv la clasă. În intervențiile finale, accentul s-a mutat foarte clar de la lista de discipline și conținuturi spre metode, reflecție, gândire critică și pedagogie aplicată. Cu alte cuvinte, nu mai este suficient să spunem că există educație media, pedagogie digitală sau competențe-cheie în documente. Miza reală este cum ajung ele să transforme experiența copilului în școală.

De ce școala nu poate duce singură această responsabilitate

La fel de puternic a fost și mesajul că școala nu poate duce singură această responsabilitate. Familia a fost evocată constant ca primul spațiu de formare a obiceiurilor digitale, dar și ca una dintre cele mai vulnerabile verigi din acest ecosistem. Participanții au vorbit deschis despre părinți care consideră că un copil este „în siguranță” atâta timp cât stă acasă, cu telefonul în mână, despre lipsa controlului parental sau despre falsa impresie că expunerea la online este inofensivă dacă nu produce probleme vizibile imediat.

Factorul familial, siguranța începe acasă

Un profesor a povestit că, într-o clasă de gimnaziu, telefonul era perceput de elevi drept „elementul de siguranță”, iar lipsa lui provoca neliniște reală. În aceeași direcție, o voce din zona educației non-formale a observat că intervenția la clasa a treia sau a patra este deja târzie pentru unii copii, pentru că până atunci ei au acumulat deja obiceiuri digitale puternice. Un elev a adus poate una dintre cele mai echilibrate concluzii ale zilei, explicând că în cazul lui au funcționat nu interdicțiile dure, ci prioritățile clare și comunicarea constantă cu părinții. Întrebat ce l-a ajutat cel mai mult, a vorbit despre importanța unei relații în care părinții „au reușit să fie doi experți în propriul meu domeniu”, adică în propria lui viață. Din această perspectivă, masa rotundă a transmis foarte clar că educația părinților nu este un element secundar, ci o condiție reală pentru siguranța copiilor.

Reglementarea contează, dar nu este suficientă

Pe partea de reglementare, discuția a fost una dintre cele mai nuanțate. Au fost prezentate obligațiile deja existente pentru platforme, mai ales în baza regulamentului european privind serviciile digitale, precum și investigațiile deschise în legătură cu protecția minorilor, designul adictiv și siguranța pe platformele mari. În paralel, s-a discutat despre proiectele legislative aflate în lucru în România, despre dificultățile de implementare și despre riscurile unor măsuri simpliste. „Nu cred că reglementarea va rezolva nici măcar jumătate din problemă”, a spus un participant din zona legislativă, iar altul a avertizat că anumite interdicții „o să dea foarte bine într-o poză”, dar vor produce rezultate limitate sau chiar inexistente.

De ce interdicțiile simple nu sunt soluții reale

Au fost menționate dificultățile de verificare reală a vârstei, lipsa unei infrastructuri digitale publice suficient de robuste, definirea neclară a conținutului dăunător și tendința instituțiilor de a-și pasa responsabilitatea una alteia. De aici, una dintre ideile cele mai consistente ale discuției: înainte de a adopta măsuri vizibile politic, este nevoie de soluții implementabile, proporționale și aliniate cu realitatea tehnică, socială și juridică.

Rolul platformelor, al companiilor tech și al designului digital

Conversația a câștigat și mai multă profunzime atunci când au intervenit vocile din zona tehnologiei, a industriei software și a platformelor. Reprezentanți ai acestui sector au susținut nevoia de protecție sporită pentru minori, dar au avertizat că verificarea strictă și centralizată a identității poate crea alte probleme serioase, de la riscuri de securitate și confidențialitate până la excluderea unor categorii de utilizatori. A fost promovată ideea unor abordări bazate pe risc, în care măsurile cele mai stricte să fie aplicate serviciilor cu risc ridicat, nu tuturor instrumentelor digitale la grămadă. În aceeași notă, s-a insistat pe instrumente de control parental mai accesibile, pe design responsabil și pe soluții tehnice care să nu transforme platformele în „poliția internetului”, dar nici să nu lase întreaga povară pe umerii familiilor și școlilor.

De la risc la oportunitate, regândirea tehnologiei în educație

Un alt punct important a fost acela că digitalul nu trebuie privit doar ca amenințare, ci și ca oportunitate. În loc ca tehnologia să fie exclusă din mediul educațional, mai mulți vorbitori au spus că ea trebuie reorientată către scopuri semnificative: proiecte de echipă, misiuni de învățare, creație, rezolvare de probleme, colaborare și dezvoltare de competențe reale pentru viitor.

De ce tinerii trebuie să facă parte din conversație

Un moment foarte valoros al dezbaterii a fost acela în care au fost aduse în centru perspectivele tinerilor și ale organizațiilor care lucrează direct cu ei. S-a spus explicit că adulții vorbesc adesea despre ceea ce trăiesc copiii, fără să îi aibă suficient în conversație. Un participant a formulat poate cea mai puternică provocare a zilei: dacă nu găsim imediat soluția perfectă, ce fac tinerii între timp și ce putem învăța de la instinctele lor de adaptare? Din această zonă au venit și unele dintre cele mai clare apeluri la colaborare, la consultarea reală a copiilor și adolescenților și la construirea unui limbaj comun între toți actorii implicați.

Mesajul-cheie al Adelinei Dragomir, să începem mai devreme și să predăm diferit

Adelina Dragomir a insistat că educația pentru cetățenie digitală începe mult prea târziu și că metodele contează la fel de mult ca mesajele. Ea a vorbit despre nevoia unei abordări bazate pe experiență, comparație, reflecție și capacitatea de a reacționa într-o situație de abuz online, nu doar pe transmiterea unor informații abstracte. Tot ea a punctat una dintre lecțiile importante din teren: fără adulți pregătiți, nu pot exista copii pregătiți, iar fără un limbaj comun între școală, părinți, organizații și decidenți, copiii primesc mesaje contradictorii și ajung să rămână singuri într-un spațiu pe care adulții pretind că îl controlează, dar adesea nu îl înțeleg suficient.

Siguranța online și problemele structurale din spatele ei

Au existat și intervenții care au lărgit cadrul și au mutat discuția dincolo de siguranța imediată, spre efectele sociale și politice ale unei generații supraexpuse, obosite, polarizate și tot mai greu de conectat la realitate. S-a vorbit despre somn insuficient, despre oboseala cronică a adolescenților, despre izolare socială, despre radicalizare, despre sărăcie, analfabetism funcțional și lipsa unor infrastructuri comunitare care să ofere alternative reale la timpul petrecut online. În acest sens, unii participanți au amintit că problema siguranței online nu poate fi separată de problemele structurale ale societății.

Spațiile comunitare, părinții și lipsa alternativelor offline

Biblioteca închisă, lipsa centrelor comunitare, lipsa spațiilor sigure pentru copii și tineri, lipsa unui sistem educațional suficient de flexibil sau lipsa investiției coerente în resursa umană se transformă toate, indirect, în factori care împing copilul și mai mult spre mediul digital ca singur spațiu de refugiu, apartenență sau sens. De aceea, masa rotundă nu a tratat tehnologia ca pe o problemă izolată, ci ca pe o oglindă care scoate la suprafață fragilități mai vechi și mai adânci.

Viitor

Privind spre viitor, discuția a conturat câteva direcții de acțiune care au apărut constant, chiar dacă au fost formulate diferit. Prima este nevoia de a coborî vârsta la care începe educația digitală și media, într-un mod adaptat dezvoltării copilului. A doua este investiția serioasă și continuă în profesori, nu doar în echipamente, pentru că fără profesori formați, reflexivi și capabili să lucreze cu realitatea digitală a elevilor, orice strategie rămâne pe hârtie. A treia este sprijinirea părinților și a comunităților, astfel încât conversația despre siguranța online să nu rămână blocată în școală sau în instituții. La acestea se adaugă alte trei direcții foarte clare: reglementarea mai atentă a designului adictiv și a algoritmilor care favorizează comportamente compulsive, dezvoltarea unor mecanisme tehnice credibile de estimare sau verificare a vârstei, și crearea unor alternative offline relevante, atractive și accesibile pentru copii și adolescenți. În fundalul tuturor acestor idei a rămas o concluzie puternică: nu există o soluție unică, rapidă și perfectă, dar există o responsabilitate comună de a acționa mai inteligent, mai coordonat și mai devreme.

De la control la pregătire, o altă cale de urmat

Masa rotundă Digital Safe, Future Ready nu a produs o listă simplă de concluzii și nici nu și-a propus asta. În schimb, a reușit ceva poate mai important: să arate că siguranța online a copiilor nu poate fi redusă nici la panică, nici la interdicție, nici la optimism tehnologic necritic. Ea cere luciditate, colaborare și o schimbare de accent de la control total la pregătire reală. Poate că una dintre cele mai relevante idei ale întregii discuții a fost aceasta: copiii nu trebuie ținuți în afara lumii digitale cu orice preț, ci ajutați să devină navigatori independenți într-o lume care va rămâne digitală. Iar pentru asta, adulții trebuie mai întâi să învețe ei înșiși să o înțeleagă.

Closed call - [CZ-774] Economy Explained, 26.04.2026-04.05.2026, Kolin, Czechia

2026-03-12T12:07:00.003+02:00

Key Information

Dates:	10/01/2026 – 18/01/2026
Arrival day:	26/04/2026
Departure day:	04/05/2026
Location:	Kolín, near Prague, Czech Republic
Participants needed:	3 participants from Romania
Deadline to apply:	15/03/2026 via geyc.ro/mobility

💡 About the Project

Economy Explained is an Erasmus+ Training Course that aims to make economic concepts more understandable and accessible for youth workers and educators.

In everyday life, economic decisions influence many aspects of society, from employment and entrepreneurship to social inclusion and public policies. However, economic topics are often perceived as complex or inaccessible.

This training course focuses on breaking down key economic ideas into practical, understandable concepts that youth workers can use when working with young people.

Through non-formal education methods, simulations, discussions and collaborative activities, participants will explore how economic systems function and how economic literacy can empower young people to better understand the world around them.

Participants will also reflect on the role of economic awareness in promoting active citizenship, responsible decision-making and social responsibility within communities.

✨ Highlight: This project is hosted by CEFIG International and supported by the Erasmus+ Programme.

🎯 Objectives

Increase participants’ understanding of basic economic principles and concepts.
Explore how economic systems affect everyday life and social development.
Develop practical tools for explaining economic topics to young people.
Strengthen critical thinking related to economic decisions and policies.
Encourage discussions on social responsibility, sustainability and economic impact.
Promote exchange of practices between youth workers from different countries.

👥 Target Group

Youth workers / NGO workers / trainers / teachers / youth leaders or individuals planning to work with youth in the future
Age: 18+
Good command of English
Motivated and open to learning and sharing experiences
Committed to full participation for the entire duration of the training.

🏠 About the Location

📍 Kolín, a picturesque town located close to Prague, Czech Republic.

🏡 Venue: Hotel Theresia

Rooms for 3–4 people, fully equipped (towels and soap provided).

Meals: 3 per day + 2 coffee breaks, served at the hotel.

Dietary needs can be accommodated upon request.

🚆 How to Get There

Nearest airport: Prague

From Prague Main Station (Praha Hlavní Nádraží), take a train to Kolín (approx. 40 minutes, departs every 30–40 minutes). Tickets: ~4 EUR regular / ~1 EUR with ISIC discount.

Local transfer: From Kolín station to Hotel Theresia (Na Petříně 991, Kolín II) → 20 min walk or free local bus (lines 1 or 2) to “Modrý bod” stop.

🔗 Useful links:

Train schedules: https://idos.idnes.cz/en/vlaky/spojeni/

Hotel info: https://www.hoteltheresia.cz

Travel guide: Honest Guide – How to get from Prague Airport to city center

✉️ Travel plans must be approved by the organizers: community@geyc.ro in line with GEYC's Travel Policy

💶 Financial Details

✅ Covered by Erasmus+:

100% accommodation and meals

Travel reimbursement up to 309 EUR upon presenting all justifying documents.

✈️ Travel Policy

Only economy/basic fare tickets approved from your location in Romania and back to Romania.

All travel plans must be pre-approved by organizers

Reimbursement is processed within up to 3 months after the training, via bank transfer.. Check here the applicable rates for the month of payment.

Do not buy any travel tickets before receiving final confirmation.
Wait for an official selection confirmation email from the organizers before booking your trip.

Keep and store all travel documents properly.
You must provide all the following for reimbursement:

Invoices (saved as PDFs – see how to do it here)
Boarding passes (physical copies or screenshots)
Physical tickets for any bus, train, or local transport used

All travel documents should be uploaded to Google Drive, in a personal folder named after you (for example: Firstname_Lastname_TravelDocs).

Important: Missing or incomplete travel documents may result in delayed or reduced reimbursement.

We are going green 💚. Check out the Travel Policy at GEYC which might differ from other projects you joined before.

📘 Important Information

Health insurance: EHIC or private policy required

Travel documents: Valid ID/passport (6+ months)

Youthpass certificate: awarded at the end of the mobility.

Înscrie-te acum ✍️

Closed call - [BE-806] Expedition Dynamics, 11.06.2026-18.06.2026, Dilsen-Stokkem, Belgium

2026-03-10T12:00:00.006+02:00

Key Information

Dates:	11/06/2026 - 18/06/2026
Arrival day:	11/06/2026
Departure day:	18/06/2026
Location:	Dilsen-Stokkem, Limburg, Belgium
Participants needed:	3 participants from Romania
Deadline to apply:	15/03/2026 via geyc.ro/mobility

💡 About the Project

Expedition Dynamics is an Erasmus+ Training Course focused on understanding and working with group dynamics in youth work settings. Young people interact in groups every day, bringing different personalities, emotions, expectations, and experiences. When guided well, these groups can become powerful learning environments where young people build confidence, develop social skills, and learn how to cooperate and deal with differences. This training will explore how groups function, how roles naturally appear in group settings, and how youth workers can consciously guide group processes to create safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments. Participants will experience a highly interactive learning process combining experiential activities, reflection, outdoor learning, and peer exchange. The training is designed not as a lecture-based course but as a hands-on learning journey, where participants actively explore emotions, behaviours, and dynamics within groups. Throughout the programme, participants will connect theory with real practice, sharing experiences from their own organisations and learning from youth workers from different countries.

✨ Highlight: This project is hosted by JOETZ International and supported by the Erasmus+ Programme.

🎯 Objectives

Strengthen participants’ ability to understand and work intentionally with group dynamics
Develop emotional intelligence and self-awareness in youth work practice
Explore personal strategies for emotional grounding and self-management
Learn practical methods for creating safe and inclusive learning environments

👥 Target Group

Youth workers, youth leaders, social workers (volunteers or employed staff)
Age: 18+
Good level of English
Individuals interested in improving their facilitation and group management skills
Gender balance will be ensured

🏠 About the Location

📍 Dilsen-Stokkem, Limburg, Belgium – a small town located near Genk, surrounded by forests, lakes and natural parks.

🏡 Venue: Heuvelsven has long been used as a youth camp and educational venue for outdoor activities and learning programmes. The location offers a peaceful atmosphere surrounded by nature, making it ideal for reflection, group learning, and experiential training.

Most training sessions will take place outdoors, as the programme focuses on experiential learning in nature.

Participants will stay in shared rooms with multiple participants in a simple but comfortable environment.

Meals provided.

More info about the venue: https://heuvelsven.be/

🚆 How to Get There

Participants should travel to Belgium and then reach Dilsen-Stokkem using public transport.

Detailed travel instructions will be provided to selected participants.

Participants must propose their travel plans in advance and receive approval from the organisers before purchasing tickets.

✉️ Travel plans must be approved by the organizers: community@geyc.ro in line with GEYC's Travel Policy

💶 Financial Details

✅ Covered by Erasmus+:

100% accommodation and meals

Travel reimbursement up to 254 EUR upon presenting all justifying documents.

✈️ Travel Policy

Only economy/basic fare tickets approved from your location in Romania and back to Romania.

All travel plans must be pre-approved by organizers

Reimbursement in EUR after mobility.. Check here the applicable rates for the month of payment.

Do not buy any travel tickets before receiving final confirmation.
Wait for an official selection confirmation email from the organizers before booking your trip.

Keep and store all travel documents properly.
You must provide all the following for reimbursement:

Invoices (saved as PDFs – see how to do it here)
Boarding passes (physical copies or screenshots)
Physical tickets for any bus, train, or local transport used

All travel documents should be uploaded to Google Drive, in a personal folder named after you (for example: Firstname_Lastname_TravelDocs).

Important: Missing or incomplete travel documents may result in delayed or reduced reimbursement.

We are going green 💚. Check out the Travel Policy at GEYC which might differ from other projects you joined before.

📘 Important Information

Health insurance: EHIC or private policy required

Travel documents: Valid ID/passport (6+ months)

Youthpass certificate: awarded at the end of the mobility.

Înscrie-te acum ✍️

News - Caravana GEYC ajunge în Muntenia

2026-03-09T10:41:00.000+02:00

Despre Caravana Munteniei

Caravana Munteniei este o serie de evenimente educaționale locale dedicate elevilor de liceu și cadrelor didactice din regiunea Muntenia. Inițiativa își propune să aducă temele europene, valorile Uniunii Europene și oportunitățile pentru tineri mai aproape de comunitățile locale, dincolo de marile centre urbane. Începută în 2022, Caravana GEYC a pornit la granița cu Ucrainei în septembrie 2022 când Caravana Moldovei a adus oportunitățile europene acolo unde tinerii au contribuit activ la răspunsul României după invazia din Ucraina. Caravana Munteniei este acum cea de-a 8-a ediție a caravanei GEYC.

Când și unde?

Caravana se desfășoară în perioada 9–13 martie 2026, în patru orașe din Muntenia:

Pitești Colegiul Național
"Zinca Golescu" 09/03/2026

Găești Colegiul Național
"Vladimir Streinu" 10/03/2026

Ploiești Colegiul Național Pedagogic "Regina Maria" 12/03/2026

Buzău Colegiul Național
"B. P. Hașdeu" 13/03/2026

Activitățile vor fi susținute de echipa GEYC și de lucrători de tineret internaționali din state membre ale Uniunii Europene: Croația, Italia, România și Spania în cadrul unei vizite de studiu din cadrul acreditării Erasmus+ Tineret a GEYC.

Scopul principal al Caravanei GEYC este de a crește nivelul de informare și înțelegere a relevanței Uniunii Europene în rândul tinerilor, promovând: valorile europene, participarea civică activă, oportunitățile de dezvoltare la nivel european și pregătirea pentru viitor - reziliența.

Tematicile abordate

Caravana aduce în prim-plan patru teme esențiale pentru tinerii de astăzi:

Participare civică și reziliență

Rolul tinerilor în societate, implicarea în comunitate și procesele democratice actuale. Vezi aici Strategia UE

Competențe pentru viitor (Future Skills)

Gândire critică, competențe digitale, adaptabilitate și învățare continuă. Portofoliul Future Skills

Oportunități europene pentru tineri

Programe, mobilități și proiecte internaționale precum schimburile educaționale. Despre Erasmus+

Echitate intergenerațională

Responsabilitatea între generații și modul în care deciziile de azi decid viitorul. Vezi aici Strategia UE

De ce este importantă această inițiativă?

Prin această caravană, Europa devine un subiect accesibil, relevant și conectat la realitatea elevilor pe plan local. Proiectul contribuie la dezvoltarea unei generații informate, implicate și pregătite să valorifice oportunitățile europene. Colțul tematic "Participare civică și reziliență" contribuie direct la Consultarea cetățenilor UE pe această temă, după fiecare eveniment existând contribuții ale participanților pe platforma online de dezbatere.

Caravana Munteniei reprezintă primul eveniment organizat în România după lansarea istorică a Strategiei UE privind Echitatea Intergenerațională (IP/26/535), marcând un moment esențial în adaptarea noilor directive europene la nivel local. Această inițiativă, detaliată pe geyc.ro, transpune în practică viziunea Comisiei Europene de a proteja interesele generațiilor viitoare prin dialog activ și politici publice echitabile. Fiind prima acțiune națională post-lansare, Caravana aduce pilonii noului „Contract Intergenerațional” direct în instituțiile de învățământ din Pitești, Găești, Ploiești și Buzău, oferind tinerilor oportunitatea de a fi pionieri în implementarea unei strategii ce pune accent pe solidaritate, reziliență și participare civică.

[TN-122] Press Start 11, 30.08.2026-13.09.2026, Marseille (France), Tunis-Hammamet, Tunisia

2026-03-06T16:40:00.006+02:00

Key Information

Programme dates:	30/08/2026 - 13/09/2026
Travel from Romania:	30/08/2026 – Bucharest → Marseille
Inter-country travel:	05/09/2026 – Marseille → Tunis
Return to Romania:	13/09/2026 – Tunis → Bucharest
Locations:	Marseille (France) & Tunis–Hammamet (Tunisia)
Participants needed:	4 Laureates (18–30 years old, B1/B2 French) + 1 Group Leader (18+, C1 French) from Romania
Deadline to apply:	14/03/2026 via geyc.ro/mobility

💡 About the Project

Press Start 11 (PS11) is an intercultural Erasmus+ programme designed to awaken and strengthen young people’s interest in responsible social entrepreneurship. For 10 years, YES Akademia (YAKA) has implemented this flagship programme, offering intensive entrepreneurial training combined with personal development and intercultural exchange.

This 11th edition focuses on two core pillars: social impact and mental health & wellbeing. Over two intensive weeks (100+ hours of training), participants will develop their own social entrepreneurship project ideas through workshops, simulations, meetings with entrepreneurs, and learning journeys. The programme continues with one year of mentorship to support project implementation.

Press Start is not tourism. It is a full-time, demanding and transformative learning experience based on non-formal education and active participation.

✨ Highlight: This project is hosted by YES Akademia (France) in partnership with ARCI (Italy), GEYC (Romania) and AVJ (Tunisia), and supported by the Erasmus+ Programme.

🎯 Objectives

Foster entrepreneurial spirit, leadership and responsible risk-taking.
Provide key tools for developing socially responsible business models.
Promote ethical decision-making and social impact in entrepreneurship.
Strengthen resilience, adaptability and self-confidence.
Encourage intercultural dialogue and cooperation.
Support participants in developing a concrete social entrepreneurship project.

👥 Target Group

Young people aged 18–30 (will be called Laureates of the programme)
Interest in responsible entrepreneurship and social impact
Have a project idea (early stage or not yet launched)
Minimum French level: B1–B2 (programme conducted entirely in French)
Available full-time for the entire programme
Group Leader must have C1 level French and can be aged 18+ (nu age limit)

🏠 About the Accommodation

Marseille: Hostel-type accommodation (similar to Meininger style), approx. 5 participants per room, private bathroom. Nationalities mixed. One Group Leader per room.

Tunis: Standard hotel, 2–3 participants per room.

Hammamet: Hostel-style accommodation.

Shared rooms

Meals provided

🚆 Travel Information

International flights (Bucharest–Marseille–Tunis–Bucharest) will be directly purchased by the organisers.You do not have to cover flights yourself.

Participants will travel together as a national group.

Travel from your home city to Bucharest Airport is not covered.

Selected participants will sign a participation contract before ticket purchase.

A 15–20 minute interview in French will be conducted as a second selection stage.

✉️ Questions: community@geyc.ro

💶 Financial Details

✅ Covered by Erasmus+:

International flights

Accommodation and meals

Training programme

One-year mentorship after the programme

🙌 Your contribution: a cofunding of 250 RON covering community management and administrative costs not included in the European funding.
Waived for: GEYC’s executive team, Board, interns, volunteers, European Fellows, and participants with fewer economic opportunities. If you have a valid MC Voucher you can use it to waive your contribution.

✈️ Selection & Participation Conditions

Programme language: French

Shortlisted candidates will undergo an online interview in French.

Passport must be valid until at least 15 March 2027.

Participants must submit CV, passport copy, photo and one recommendation letter (details after pre-selection).

Participants must attend the entire programme without interruption.

📘 Important Information

Health insurance required

Valid passport mandatory

Youthpass certificate awarded at the end of the programme

One-year mentorship included after mobility

Înscrie-te acum ✍️

Events - EU Employment & Social Rights Forum 2026 - Social Europe: Empowering people in times of change

2026-03-04T21:00:00.002+02:00

The European Employment and Social Rights Forum 2026 brought together EU institutions, member states, social partners, civil society, researchers, and employers to stress-test a shared question: can Europe stay competitive while protecting people through rapid technological, demographic, and geopolitical change. The programme moved from high-level direction, including the Union of Skills, the Quality Jobs Act, the fair labour mobility package, and the first EU anti-poverty strategy, into practical breakout discussions on what delivery looks like in real labour markets, sectors, and communities.

The Forum treated “social Europe” less as a set of principles and more as an operating model, partnership-based, evidence-led, and increasingly judged by measurable outcomes. Across panels and sessions, speakers repeatedly returned to the same pressure points: skills gaps and skills under-utilisation, the need for adult learning at scale, the role of workplaces as learning environments, the importance of fair mobility with enforceable rights, and the requirement to address poverty and resilience as core economic and democratic priorities, not side agendas.

The first day

Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, European Commission, opened the EU Employment and Social Rights Forum 2026 by setting a clear line that ran through the day, Europe’s competitiveness agenda has to translate into security and opportunity for people. That framing carried into the opening speech by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, who described the Forum as a live example of Europe’s social partnership model, trade unions, employers, governments and civil society in the same room, working from the premise that “economic progress and social rights go hand in hand.” Anchoring the argument in first principles, she cited Konrad Adenauer’s idea that “the economy should serve the people and not the people the economy,” then linked competitiveness to daily realities, wages, jobs, security, and Europe’s capacity to shape AI and the digital transition without losing strategic industries.

Ursula von der Leyen also leaned on recent crisis delivery as evidence that coordinated EU action can protect jobs and keep skills in place. She recalled the rapid roll-out of SURE and said it “protected 40 million jobs,” then pointed to NextGenerationEU as a second step that supported recovery and accelerated the clean and digital transitions. The message was not that competitiveness is a goal in itself, she explicitly rejected that, calling it the foundation that sustains a social Europe. From there, she set out three deliverables that framed the rest of the day’s programme: completing the Single Market, investing in skills and quality jobs, and addressing the affordability crisis, particularly housing. In practical terms, she described a push to reduce fragmentation, including a proposed “28th regime” to make cross-border business activity easier without putting labour standards “into question,” and “EU Inc” as a streamlined company structure, including an ambition to enable digital registration “within 48 hours.” For workers, she announced a fair labour mobility package planned for the autumn, and illustrated why, citing obstacles such as slow recognition of qualifications and administrative barriers that block free movement in practice. On skills, she framed the political offer in simple terms, “skills are the bridge between uncertainty and opportunity,” and connected this directly to a forthcoming Quality Jobs Act. On affordability, she described housing as a pressure point with labour-market consequences, and argued that action is needed to prevent housing insecurity from becoming a structural barrier to opportunity.

The keynote intervention by Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, Dean of the IE School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs (remote live intervention), narrowed in on the Single Market and labour mobility as competitiveness infrastructure. He argued for a stronger “European pride” narrative and a people-centred interpretation of market integration, insisting that “the single market is the people.” He made the case that labour mobility should carry the same weight as other Single Market freedoms, because mobility strengthens productivity and helps allocate talent where it is needed. At the same time, he flagged the gap between the legal right to move and the real ability to move, naming barriers like restrictive recognition systems and practices that suppress wages or restrict switching jobs. Importantly, he insisted that a credible Single Market also has to respect the “freedom to stay,” meaning people should not feel that Europe works only for those who can move. His bottom line was consistent with the Commission President’s framing, a stronger, more coherent market is not a technical detail, it is a condition for quality jobs, social cohesion, and Europe’s ability to compete.

The first thematic block, Quality Jobs and Fair Labour Mobility, opened with a video message from Yolanda Díaz, Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Spain, who placed the debate in a high-stakes political context. She warned that labour rights and collective bargaining are often among “the first victims” when democratic norms weaken, and argued the EU “cannot respond to this moment by lowering the bar.” Her intervention defined “quality work” as stability, dignified wages, health and safety (including mental health), and time, including the right to disconnect. She argued that enforcement is decisive, “rights without inspection and sanctions are just empty words,” and pushed for implementation of the Digital Platforms Directive so platform work is not built on precariousness as a business model. She also cautioned against policy choices that, in her view, weaken corporate accountability in value chains, presenting this as incompatible with an EU agenda that claims to defend quality employment.

The panel discussion brought the tensions into operational detail, with Li Andersson, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Employment Committee, Esther Lynch, General Secretary of European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Markus J. Beyrer, Director-General at BusinessEurope, Alice Burks, Director of People Success, Deel, and Menno Bart, Head of Policy Advocacy, Adecco Group testing where quality jobs, mobility and competitiveness align, and where they clash. Esther Lynch framed a quality job as something that delivers “security,” “progress,” and “the chance to get ahead,” while warning that instability can be disguised as flexibility, producing what she described as chaos for workers who cannot plan care, time, or income. Li Andersson argued that the Quality Jobs Act expected later in the year will be judged on ambition and enforceability, particularly around AI-driven work practices, algorithmic management, psychosocial risks, and the regulation of subcontracting and labour intermediaries. Markus J. Beyrer stressed that “quality jobs are created by competitive companies,” and argued that Europe’s industrial base and productivity trajectory matter directly for job quality, while also calling for clarity and simpler compliance in cross-border operations, particularly for smaller firms. Menno Bart argued that competitiveness and job quality can reinforce each other if Europe invests in skills and broadens access to social protection beyond traditional employment patterns, and he made a concrete proposal that member states should allocate a higher share of GDP to adult learning to match the rhetoric of lifelong learning. From the perspective of cross-border hiring, Alice Burks described skills scarcity and speed as defining pressures, and highlighted compliance complexity as a barrier for both employers and workers, explaining why employer-of-record models are increasingly used to manage payroll and legal obligations across jurisdictions.

Roxana Mînzatu returned after the break with “Prepare, protect, empower people in times of change,” positioning preparedness as the practical method behind the policy package. She confirmed three Commission deliverables and their timelines as they were discussed during the day, a Quality Jobs Act by the end of the year, a fair labour mobility package in the autumn, and the first EU anti-poverty strategy in 2026. She framed free movement as a promise that must not lead to exploitation, underpayment, or abandonment, and she linked preparedness directly to AI’s disruption of job content and skills needs, including changes expected by 2030. To make anticipation operational, she described building stronger capacity inside the Commission to integrate labour-market and skills data, so policies can respond faster and with more precision. In the Q and A that followed, she connected the trust question to the workplace reality of AI-enabled monitoring, assessment, and discrimination risks, arguing that if institutions fail to protect dignity at work, the political consequences will show up quickly in public trust and democratic resilience.

The second thematic block, The Fight Against Poverty, started with a live Q and A featuring Vincent Kompany, Head Coach at FC Bayern München and Founder of BX Brussels (remote live intervention), who argued that sport can function as social infrastructure for inclusion and opportunity, not as an add-on. He described BX Brussels as a platform that builds confidence, values, and practical bridges into the world of work through mentoring, exposure to employers, and support for real pathways like internships. His core point was cohesion, sport creates shared spaces where young people meet across backgrounds, build discipline and teamwork, and see possibility where their environment often signals closed doors. He also argued that inclusion needs structure, not only goodwill, and called for frameworks that help initiatives scale and cooperate rather than remain isolated.

That set the scene for the panel “Can Europe deliver on its 2030 promise?” with Petre-Florin Manole, Minister of Labor, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity, Romania, Aleksandra Gajewska, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, Poland, Marie Toussaint, Member of the European Parliament, Co-Chair of the Intergroup on Fighting Against Poverty, Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, and Maria Nyman, Secretary General of Caritas Europa. Olivier De Schutter argued that poverty has changed character in ways that policy still underestimates: work no longer reliably protects people from poverty, and growth alone is no longer sufficient to reduce poverty. Petre-Florin Manole described Romania’s constraints bluntly, including deficit pressures, and outlined priorities around in-work poverty, minimum wage dynamics, and minimum inclusion income, while stressing the need to move beyond cash transfers toward accessible services. Aleksandra Gajewska presented Poland’s approach as targeted and measurable, combining benefits, services, minimum wage increases and data-driven indicators, and insisted social spending cannot be treated as optional in budget debates. Marie Toussaint pressed participation and coherence as the hinge points, arguing that people experiencing poverty must shape policy design, not only be consulted, and that anti-poverty measures must connect with housing and quality jobs if the 2030 promise is to be credible. Maria Nyman reported a clear trend from frontline services, the rise of the working poor, increasing demand from younger people, and more complex needs requiring legal, psychosocial and administrative support, alongside funding and coordination that remains too fragile for the scale of need. The panel’s sharpest question captured the direction-of-travel issue in plain language, are we “building people that are suitable for the economy,” or “building an economy that is suitable for the people?”

The Council perspective came next, with Marinos Moushouttas, Minister of Labour and Social Insurance, Cyprus, presenting the priorities of the Presidency on social rights and employment as a programme built around “fair and safe employment for social justice.” He put deliverables and calendar dates on the table, including EPSCO discussions on AI and job quality, skills as a cross-cutting priority linked to labour-market resilience, steps to support workers affected by global and technological disruptions, and a focus on fair labour mobility. He also pointed to progress ambitions on coordination of social security systems and reinforced occupational safety and health as non-negotiable, including work on protective standards. On poverty, he aligned the Presidency with the development of the EU anti-poverty strategy in 2026 and highlighted child poverty prevention, early childhood education and care, and long-term care as core priorities that link social justice with long-term prosperity.

The day closed with a fireside chat, “Breaking the cycle: why investing early on in life pays off,” with Sidsel Marie Kristensen, CEO of the LEGO Foundation, and Mario Nava, Director-General, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Rights and Inclusion, European Commission. Mario Nava steered the exchange back to the day’s central logic, if Europe wants to break poverty cycles and strengthen competitiveness, it has to invest early and at scale. Sidsel Marie Kristensen explained the LEGO Foundation’s funding model, stating that 25 percent of LEGO Group dividends go to the Foundation, and described its focus on children in vulnerable situations, particularly through education and early childhood. She cited widely used research claims to make the prevention case, including the scale of brain development in early years and the strong social and economic returns associated with early investment, then linked this to practical delivery questions like childcare quality and workforce skills in early-years services. She also argued for play-based learning as a skills engine, building adaptability, resilience, creativity and social-emotional skills that matter even more in an AI-shaped society, and she stressed that scale requires partnership, not isolated pilots, “we cannot save the world alone.”

In his closing remarks, Mario Nava pulled the threads together into three policy tracks that defined Day 1: quality jobs, fair labour mobility, and poverty reduction, with skills as the connective tissue across all three. He highlighted the Forum’s scale of participation and framed it as a signal of urgency, then closed on a practical note, the next phase is delivery, aligning institutions, member states, social partners, civil society and employers around policies that are enforceable, funded, and measurable, because that is the test of whether Europe’s social model remains a strategic advantage in an era of rapid change.

The 2nd day

Moderator Ali Al-Jaberi opened Day 2 by setting a practical frame for participation, noting that the programme consists of three rounds of breakout discussions and encouraging active audience involvement across sessions. He also confirmed access features for the day, interpretation in English, French, German and Spanish, alongside international sign language, before welcoming Ylva Johansson, Chair of the European Skills High-Level Board, and Mario Nava, Director-General, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), European Commission, for the morning fireside chat. Mario Nava picked up directly from Day 1’s conclusions, recalling that discussions on quality jobs, fair labour mobility, and poverty reduction converged on one common lever, stating that skills are the glue across all three areas, and marking a concrete milestone for the agenda, noting it was one year since the European Commission adopted the Union of Skills package in its first 100 days.

In response, Ylva Johansson balanced optimism with a clear diagnosis of what blocks progress. She described the most motivating feature of EU-level work as the moment when Europe decides to act together, because when it does, it can move mountains. At the same time, she named a persistent obstacle: Europe struggles to see the full picture, comparing fragmented problem definitions to 27 blind people describing an elephant from different angles. On the 2030 training target, which Mario Nava summarised as 60% adult participation compared to current levels still below 40%, Johansson argued for significant change without disruption for its own sake. She outlined two immediate investment priorities, raising the quality of basic skills in schools and making massive investments in adult learning. She then added two shifts she sees as essential for delivery: employers need to focus on using the skills they already have inside firms, and education providers need to test outcomes against labour market reality, not only exams, asking whether graduates can actually do the job and whether employers see training as fit for purpose.

The exchange then moved from targets to delivery architecture, with Mario Nava pressing what the High-Level Board can realistically change, and Johansson answering with a model-building ambition. She was explicit that the board cannot impose a revolution across member states, but it can incentivise and inspire change, including a stronger European approach to valuing people’s capabilities, calling for a better model for human capital. She also sharpened the inclusion dimension, arguing that skills policy is inseparable from school experience and social mobility, real good teachers can move mountains, while warning that too many children experience education as exclusion rather than growth. Across the remainder of the conversation, she returned to three forward actions that set the tone for Day 2: build learning into work rather than treating education as a separate episode, make learning how to learn a core competence because job content evolves quickly, and develop mixed financing for adult learning across individuals, employers, collective agreements and public budgets, since the scale of investment needed will not come from any single source. Mario Nava linked this back to the Forum’s broader competitiveness logic, reinforcing that skills development is both an economic input and a social stabiliser, and closed by sending participants into the breakout programme with a practical message that the board’s work will be judged the same way the Forum is, by whether it moves from shared diagnosis to scalable action.

Paul Guest, Moderator-Consultant, Orientra, opened the first Pact for Skills session with a clear signal that the room had shifted from interest to urgency, calling it a full house and joking that skills are suddenly top of the list. He framed the Pact for Skills strand around private sector investment in skills and tackling labour market shortages through partnership, then borrowed a line that had dominated Day 1 and made it the session’s anchor: skills are the bridge between uncertainty and opportunity. When participants were asked to name Europe’s most pressing digital skills challenge, Paul Guest noted that AI did not immediately dominate the word cloud. Instead, the first wave of concerns centred on digital literacy, responsible use, and the pressure of constant change and agility, a reminder that the digital gap remains as much about foundations and judgement as it is about frontier tools.

From the regional policy perspective, Esther Rommel, Regional Minister, Provincie Noord-Holland, argued that competitiveness, cohesion and the green transition are converging on one constraint: Europe’s future depends on skills. She positioned Noord-Holland as a testbed and delivery engine, describing a region of about three million people and a diverse economy, from industry and logistics to energy, food, maritime activity and digital services. She highlighted familiar bottlenecks, persistent shortages in technical profiles, fast-moving green and digital transitions, and well-intended projects that struggle to scale. Her response is a practical operating model rather than a strategy paper. She described the 2030 Noord-Holland manifesto as a regional mechanism to move from fragmentation to shared purpose. The core diagnosis was governance and execution: skills systems fail when actors work in parallel, while success comes when purpose, governance and execution are aligned. She outlined how the manifesto brings employers, sector organisations, vocational and higher education, public authorities and labour market services into the same delivery structure. In discussion, she stressed the approach is built around practical pathways, with businesses working with schools to train both students and adults, and with a strong push on recognition so skills and certificates travel more easily, including the reality that some companies are building their own in-house education structures to keep up with demand.

Jürgen Siebel, Executive Director, Cedefop, translated the urgency into labour market evidence. He cited that more than half of Europe’s adult workforce needs digital upskilling or AI training, and warned that training depth remains too thin, noting that a large share of digital training lasts a week or less. He argued AI should be treated as a cross-cutting megatrend rather than a niche, because it affects jobs across skill levels. At the same time, he cautioned against exaggerated job loss narratives, arguing that occupations are bundles of tasks and technology typically reshapes work rather than erasing it outright. Two gaps dominated his intervention: the mismatch between need and provision, with workers reporting strong demand for AI skills while AI-related training remains limited, and the mismatch inside jobs, where many roles do not fully use the skills people already have. That is why he returned to the backbone required for scale: data is not intelligence, intelligence is making sense of data, then using it to steer both training supply and the design of quality jobs. Looking ahead, he connected this to demographic reality, an ageing workforce and rapid growth in health and care employment, reinforcing his conclusion that adult learning, guidance, validation, recognition and financing have to become an ecosystem rather than a side programme.

The industry lens from Thomas Grandjouan, Head of EU Government Affairs and Policy, Kyndryl, underlined why the skills issue is now sitting at boardroom level. Introducing Kyndryl as an IT infrastructure services company spun out of IBM, operating with about 70,000 employees across 21 countries, he described the company’s 2025 survey of 3,700 CEOs, CIOs and CTOs as showing how quickly AI is changing workforce strategy. In that dataset, a large majority said AI will reshape their workforce, but a minority felt ready, and many reported gaps in the human and cognitive skills required to manage the shift. He highlighted a pattern that matters for execution, misalignment at the top, with CEOs and tech leadership often holding different views on the depth of the skills gap, which blocks coherent workforce planning. In contrast, Kyndryl’s pace-setting organisations focused on practical behaviours that the session kept returning to: skills visibility, learning delivery, and trust, including tracking employees’ skills and having a plan to close gaps, using external expertise to accelerate training and embed AI into roles, building employee trust through transparency about goals and risks, and putting ethical frameworks in place so AI is deployed safely and lawfully. On implementation, he offered two concrete examples: reskilling more than 10,000 employees away from repetitive tasks after automation, and preparing the wider workforce for agentic AI, where low-code and no-code tools allow many more roles to build and govern AI-driven processes. The implication matched the rest of the panel: Europe’s next skills wave is not only about training more people, it is about using skills better, making workplaces learning environments, and building partnership models that SMEs can access, otherwise the risk is a two-tier skills economy.

The second part of Pact for Skills: Future skills needs and developments shifted from diagnosis to delivery, bringing in complementary perspectives on how training is being built to respond to fast-changing digital demand. Maud Sacquet, Head of EU Public Policy, LinkedIn, opened with LinkedIn’s Economic Graph, describing it as a digital map of the labour market built from platform activity across more than 1.3 billion members, 71 million companies, and 15 million jobs at any given time. Her topline signal was mixed but actionable: hiring remains sluggish compared to pre-pandemic levels, yet AI-related work is expanding quickly, with companies creating large numbers of AI-related roles and a surge in data-centre jobs linked to AI infrastructure investment. She also flagged the geography of AI competition, describing AI engineering talent as more likely than average to move cross-border, and pointing to European hubs such as Ireland and Germany as talent magnets in her referenced dataset. The key implication for training and recruitment was speed of change: she cited analysis suggesting that a substantial share of skills in most jobs will change between 2015 and 2030, and argued employers are increasingly prioritising AI literacy alongside durable human capabilities such as strategic thinking, communication, and adaptability.

Where LinkedIn provided labour-market signals, Vangelis Makris, Team Leader, AKMI International, described what delivery looks like inside vocational education and training and EU-funded project ecosystems. He presented an Erasmus Plus Centres of Vocational Excellence project focused on AI-powered vocational skills, framed as a response to AI becoming an everyday tool across roles, from administration to customer service, logistics and training design. He warned that the pace of change widens labour shortages and deepens inequality unless upskilling becomes faster, more practical and more inclusive. Positioning AKMI International as a major private VET provider in Greece, he outlined the AI for VET initiative as a pan-European model built on a consortium of 26 partners across 11 countries and 18 NUTS2 regions, combining training providers, employers, clusters, public actors and research institutions. The design is deliberately practical: mapping regional AI-related gaps and starting points, then translating that into short, mobile-friendly learning modules in multiple languages, with sector priorities including wholesale and retail, professional services, health and social work, education, and hospitality. His most concrete policy message focused on what AI literacy should mean at scale: not coding as a baseline, but the ability to use tools safely, ask good questions, verify outputs, understand limitations and bias, and manage data protection implications.

The Q and A tightened the focus on who risks being left behind, and what changes in hiring behaviour might help. Asked directly, Vangelis Makris identified at-risk groups as workers in routine roles, adults with low digital confidence, SMEs in less advanced innovation ecosystems, people in remote areas, and underrepresented groups including women in AI pathways. Maud Sacquet pointed to a shift in employer behaviour that could counter exclusion if applied seriously, growth in skills-based hiring. She described recruiters increasingly searching for candidates based on skills rather than only degrees, diplomas, or narrow networks, arguing this broadens candidate pools, supports diversity, and helps ease labour shortages. When challenged on the reliability of platform data, she clarified that LinkedIn does not rely on a single signal such as self-declared skills alone, but combines multiple indicators across roles and skills patterns, and cross-checks methodology through collaborations with institutions such as the OECD. The session closed on a central thread that matched Day 2’s opening fireside chat: keeping the digital transition human-centred depends on pairing technical AI skills with durable capabilities like communication, critical thinking and adaptability, so people feel equipped to work with the technology rather than displaced by it.

In the opening segment of Pact for Skills: Closing the skills gap for a competitive Europe, Paul Guest reset the room for a three-part structure: first, how businesses can help deliver future-ready skills; second, a conversation looking outward to the EU neighbourhood and candidate countries; and third, two project contributions focused on the health and care workforce. He then handed the floor to Manuela Geleng, Director for Jobs and Skills, DG EMPL, European Commission, who framed the session as both a stocktake and a push for more delivery capacity under the Union of Skills. She reminded participants that the Pact for Skills, launched in 2020 because nobody can do it alone, has reached scale, citing over 4,000 members, 20 large-scale partnerships, 22 regional partnerships, and 25 training commitments, and said the Union of Skills strategy requires the Pact to become more efficient and stronger, including an ambition to double commitments.

The first panel brought the business perspective into focus with Ben Butters, CEO, Eurochambres, Christopher Frieling, Director for Advocacy and Public Policy, SEMI Europe, and Jakub Stolfa, President, Automotive Skills Alliance. Ben Butters argued that the key shift over the past decade is that the debate is no longer whether businesses should engage with education and training, but how they do so effectively. He described chambers of commerce as both policy shapers and practitioners, noting that a large share of chambers are involved in education and training and many deliver VET directly, from apprenticeship systems and training centres to SME upskilling and career guidance. For Eurochambres, the Pact’s added value is its ability to convert policy ambition into effective solutions through public-private cooperation. He stressed that to remain credible it must stay SME-friendly, light and nimble, and better connected to funding, including safeguards for Erasmus Plus and a dedicated budget line for vocational education and training and apprenticeship mobility.

From the high-tech sector angle, Christopher Frieling described the Pact for Skills as a strategic instrument for Europe’s semiconductor capability, not only a workforce programme. Speaking from the perspective of the Pact for Skills for microelectronics, he said sector-level skills intelligence has helped quantify gaps and sharpen messages to policymakers, citing an estimate that by 2030 the sector could be short by 65,000 people without a different approach. He stressed that collaboration is difficult precisely because companies compete for the same scarce profiles, which is why the Pact’s value lies in providing a platform to collaborate on shared tools such as skills intelligence and coordinated actions that no single firm would undertake alone. He also linked the agenda to geopolitical resilience, arguing that rebuilding production capability without rebuilding skills is not feasible, and that skills shortages in critical supply chains now affect Europe’s economic security as much as its competitiveness.

Jakub Stolfa reinforced the Pact’s role as an enabling structure that makes collaboration possible in practice, calling it an alliance of willing that helps companies, training providers, social partners and regions speak a common language and move from commitments to results. He argued the key test is impact, whether the Pact produces workers with the right skills across sectors, regions and company sizes, and he pushed for stronger system-wide alignment between business and education and training, describing the current moment as a dual transformation: an industrial revolution alongside an education and training revolution. In response to the Union of Skills ambition to double Pact commitments, Ben Butters cautioned that targets alone are not enough and warned against turning the Pact into a symbolic agreement, insisting it must keep its practical value for companies through clarity of purpose, visible outcomes, and mechanisms that connect participation to talent pipelines, training design support, funding access and policy shaping. Manuela Geleng closed the segment by translating the panel’s messages into next steps for Pact governance: strengthen delivery tools including blueprints and Centres of Vocational Excellence, connect sector-level skills intelligence to the emerging EU skills observatory for comparability, and make it easier for companies to pledge through a more integrated framework, including work to bring the alliance for apprenticeships under the Pact so commitments on apprenticeships, upskilling and reskilling reinforce each other instead of competing.

The second segment of Pact for Skills: Closing the skills gap for a competitive Europe shifted the lens to the EU neighbourhood, with Paul Guest clarifying that the discussion concerned candidate and potential candidate countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Kosovo. He then convened a rapid conversation between Pilvi Torsti, Director, European Training Foundation (ETF), and Salvatore Nigro, CEO, JA Europe, on how skills identification and delivery can be strengthened across the neighbourhood, and how the flow of learning can work both ways. Pilvi Torsti described ETF as the EU’s skills for global Europe arm in the neighbourhood, combining system monitoring and analysis, foresight, and policy advice. She emphasised that skills work requires mixed methods, data tools and structured stakeholder input, particularly because contexts differ widely. A recurring theme was that the skills agenda is shared, but risks are amplified, including sharper underutilisation of talent and heightened sector vulnerabilities, especially in areas exposed to disruption and shocks.

Salvatore Nigro brought the perspective of an organisation built explicitly to close the gap between schooling and work, framing JA Europe’s model as learning experiences delivered through business volunteers inside education systems. He described JA Europe’s current scale as reaching 23 million young people globally each year and 7.5 million young people annually across Europe and its neighbours, supported by a large volunteer base and a blended funding model, summarised as 60% private sector funded and 40% public sector funded. He highlighted programme architecture that connects employability, entrepreneurship and financial capability, including EU-supported initiatives with multiple partners focused on digital skills and sector needs. In the Western Balkans, he pointed to Albania as an example of system integration, describing a model where JA programmes are embedded across school levels and backed by significant investment, and reinforced his headline claim that the issue is no longer a gap but a canyon, arguing that skills development must start earlier and focus on application, not only knowledge acquisition.

When the discussion turned to what is most urgent across the neighbourhood, the emphasis moved beyond a single digital gap and into a differentiated picture by country and sector. Salvatore Nigro argued that digital skills are often the number one demand, but priorities vary, citing Ukraine as comparatively strong on digital and STEM while pointing to financial capability as an area where more support is needed. He described Türkiye’s challenge as much about re-engagement as skills, including high shares of NEETs and school dropout, which makes labour market inclusion harder even where some skills pathways perform well. Pilvi Torsti responded to the question of whether neighbourhood engagement is one-way, insisting it is a two-way street, and gave concrete examples of mutual learning: Western Balkans and Ukraine show different patterns in women’s participation in STEM than several EU member states, while parts of the neighbourhood lag behind the EU in work-based learning structures, where workplace learning needs to become a core mechanism. She also described practical preparation for enlargement through policy transfer and peer learning, including supporting implementation of the Youth Guarantee by convening member states and partner-country administrations and stakeholders around operational models, costs, and governance choices.

The session closed with one audience question that sharpened the inclusion debate, asking why disadvantaged groups remain under-activated and how models that work, such as supported employment and job coaching, can be scaled. Salvatore Nigro answered from the prevention angle, arguing that post-crisis systems can create comfort zones that weaken activation, while later swings toward reduced social protection can widen exclusion, leaving young people and vulnerable groups stranded between extremes. He pointed to early intervention as a reliable lever, describing evidence from comparative evaluation in underserved communities showing reduced dropout and higher attainment among young people exposed to progressive learning models early. Paul Guest closed the segment by signalling what the conversation had surfaced for the Pact for Skills narrative: neighbourhood cooperation is not charity, it is capacity-building with shared benefits, and the practical challenge is to convert evidence, partnerships and programmes into scalable pathways that reduce the canyon, not just describe it.

In the breakout Resilient Societies: Strengthening social policy through research, Marie Sina, Europe Economic Correspondent, Deutsche Welle, anchored the discussion in the forthcoming European Partnership on Social Transformations and Resilience (STR), designed to feed evidence into policy across future of work, social protection and essential services, education and skills, and fair transition towards climate neutrality. The frame was set sharply by Prof. Maja Göpel, Founder, Mission Wertvoll, who argued that resilience is an agency question grounded in social capital, trust, norms, and networks that make people willing to act when circumstances shift. Drawing on findings she cited from the Ipsos Populism Survey (June 2025), she highlighted rising perceptions that the system is broken and warned that grievance and mistrust are being weaponised through narratives that the economy is rigged and elites are decoupled from the rest of society. Her challenge was to stop avoiding the hard questions people feel are brushed over, notably will we have enough, will we share enough, and who is we, alongside a critique of confusing means and ends, including treating GDP growth as the default yardstick and presenting digitalisation or AI deployment as automatically beneficial. She insisted competitiveness must be defined by outcomes, arguing Europe needs to make explicit whether it is pursuing a high-road or low-road strategy and cannot compete its way out of a race to the bottom.

The session moved from diagnosis to delivery through Dr. Malwina Gębalska, Candidate Partnership on Social Transformations and Resilience Coordinator, National Science Centre Poland, who presented STR as a long-horizon mechanism for applied, interdisciplinary research rooted in social sciences and humanities and explicitly co-created with policy and societal actors. She described STR as planned for 7 to 10 years, starting in 2027, with partners from 24 countries and funding currently at 185 million, with an ambition to reach 200 million through national allocations and expected Commission co-funding. She emphasised STR’s operational model: transnational calls for proposals, cohorts of projects around shared topics, a built-in focus on policy uptake, and infrastructure for collaboration via workshops, seminars, and training to help researchers and policymakers work together. A key bottleneck was explicit: STR aims to improve access to administrative data, since in many countries access is difficult, and better access is essential if research is to keep pace with rapid change. She also issued a straightforward invitation for additional partners to join and for ministries and funders to engage.

Panel reactions clarified what resilience requires in practice and where the research-policy interface breaks down. Dr. Koen Vleminckx, Director Research, Federal Public Service (FPS) Social Security, Belgium, focused on trust as both outcome and method: institutions rebuild confidence by showing they truly care and by speaking honestly about realities and choices, but that depends on research that is usable under real legal and political constraints. He argued research often misses decision-making reality when it does not translate findings into concrete policy options. He also highlighted the need for more timely data that reflects today’s realities, hybrid careers, changing family composition, and consecutive crises, and pointed to administrative data as a crucial route to faster insight. Bert De Wel, Global Climate Policy Coordinator, International Trade Union Confederation, reinforced that resilience and fairness are distribution questions, not messaging exercises. He framed just transition as the core trade union lens, arguing trust hinges on clarity about who wins and who loses, and on protecting the tools that make fair distribution feasible, especially collective bargaining, which he warned is increasingly under pressure. He also cautioned that in climate negotiations resilience can become an acceptance of defeat if it displaces mitigation and binding obligations. A repeated insistence was that workers must be actors in research, not merely subjects, because ownership of findings shapes whether policies land on the ground.

From the university side, Prof. Alessandro Perego, Vice Rector for Sustainable Development and Societal Impact and Full Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Politecnico di Milano, argued the bridge between science and policy is built through sustained real-world engagement rather than one-off dissemination. He described social responsibility as integral to the university mission and gave concrete examples: off-campus programmes embedded in districts facing housing fragility, migration and gentrification, and a Milan network of ten food recovery hubs that redistributed about 1,000 tons of food, roughly two million meals, with the university supporting coordination and learning. Throughout, Marie Sina kept the discussion operational, pressing for what evidence workers need to trust transitions will be fair, and testing public appetite for welfare-state instruments that reduce dependency on markets, including the question of whether it is possible to decommodify economic security, such as housing, from the job market.

Three forward actions emerged clearly from the exchange, and STR was repeatedly positioned as a delivery vehicle rather than another debate forum. First, shift research investment toward policy-usable outputs, including options and trade-offs, faster evidence cycles, and structured policy-uptake pathways that ministries can act on, not only publishable findings. Second, build the data backbone, especially streamlined and ethical access to administrative data and shared standards so research reflects current labour markets, household realities and crisis dynamics, rather than lagging indicators. Third, treat co-creation as a rule, not a pilot, by integrating social partners, NGOs and public authorities from design to dissemination, so affected groups own the insights and can trust the implementation, rather than experiencing research as extraction.

Conclusions

Across the Forum, the central throughline was that Europe’s social model is being treated not as a parallel track to competitiveness, but as the condition for sustainable competitiveness. Day 1 set the political and policy frame: Ursula von der Leyen linked competitiveness to tangible social outcomes and delivery tools (Single Market deepening, skills investment, affordability and housing), Enrico Letta argued labour mobility must be treated with the same weight as other freedoms while protecting the “freedom to stay,” and Yolanda Díaz drew a firm red line against “simplification” that weakens labour, environmental, and equality protections. The quality jobs and fair labour mobility panel then translated this into operational tensions, how to modernise rules for AI, algorithmic management, psychosocial risks, subcontracting and enforcement, while using digital tools to simplify cross-border work without opening space for social dumping or exploitation.

Day 2 reinforced the same architecture but shifted from what to do toward how to deliver at scale. The fireside chat with Ylva Johansson and Mario Nava anchored the Union of Skills in three practical levers, stronger basic skills, major adult learning investment, and workplaces as learning environments, financed through mixed models across individuals, employers, collective agreements and public budgets. Pact for Skills sessions provided concrete delivery patterns, regional operating models, skills intelligence, skills-based hiring, short modular training tied to real tasks, and explicit attention to who risks being left behind (SMEs, routine roles, remote areas, underrepresented groups). The “Resilient Societies” breakout then tied it back to legitimacy, trust is the bottleneck for transitions, and the STR partnership is presented as a structured attempt to bridge science and policy through co-created research, better data access, and “policy uptake” pathways, so evidence becomes usable action rather than another report.

What does the forum mean for us

We take away from the Forum that skills delivery is now judged by execution quality, inclusiveness, and measurable impact, not by policy intent, and that future skills work has to combine AI literacy with durable human capabilities, better job design, and rights-based frameworks. For GEYC, especially given our cross-department experience, this gives us a clear positioning: we can convene stakeholders into SME-friendly, modular, evidence-led pathways that connect training to real work, strengthen skills utilisation and mobility readiness, and embed inclusion as a design requirement, not an add-on. As a Pact for Skills member, we can contribute by piloting partnership formats, producing skills intelligence outputs, testing micro-credentials and microlearning approaches, and strengthening youth-focused transition supports that align with the Union of Skills logic, while also building credibility through the Forum’s repeated standards: clarity on outcomes, enforcement where rights are at stake, and co-creation with workers, employers, civil society, and the communities most exposed to labour market disruption.

Closed call - [CZ-773] The Pillars of Wellbeing, 18.04.2026-26.04.2026, Kolin, Czechia

2026-03-03T09:52:00.006+02:00

Key Information

Dates:	10/01/2026 – 18/01/2026
Arrival day:	18/04/2026
Departure day:	26/04/2026
Location:	Kolín, near Prague, Czech Republic
Participants needed:	3 participants from Romania
Deadline to apply:	05/03/2026 via geyc.ro/mobility

💡 About the Project

The Pillars of Wellbeing is an Erasmus+ Training Course designed to support youth workers, trainers, NGO staff, teachers, and youth leaders in developing a deeper, practical understanding of wellbeing.

In today’s demanding social and professional environments, wellbeing is essential rather than optional. This training explores wellbeing not as an abstract concept, but as a lived, daily experience shaped by habits, stress management, relationships, and financial awareness.

The project focuses on four interconnected pillars:

Mental wellbeing

Physical wellbeing

Social wellbeing

Financial wellbeing

Participants will explore how imbalance in these areas generates stress, how stress manifests in the body and mind, and how small, realistic actions can restore balance and resilience.

✨ Highlight: This project is hosted by CEFIG International and supported by the Erasmus+ Programme.

🎯 Objectives

Explore and articulate personal understanding of wellbeing based on lived experience.
Recognise how the four wellbeing pillars influence daily functioning.
Identify personal stress signals and patterns (emotional, mental, physical).
Distinguish between supportive and draining stress.
Practice realistic strategies to balance wellbeing pillars.
Translate personal wellbeing learning into youth work practice.

👥 Target Group

Youth workers / NGO workers / trainers / teachers / youth leaders or individuals planning to work with youth in the future
Age: 18+
Good command of English
Motivated and open to learning and sharing experiences
Committed to full participation for the entire duration of the training.

🏠 About the Location

📍 Kolín, a picturesque town located close to Prague, Czech Republic.

🏡 Venue: Hotel Theresia

Rooms for 3–4 people, fully equipped (towels and soap provided).

Meals: 3 per day + 2 coffee breaks, served at the hotel.

Dietary needs can be accommodated upon request.

🚆 How to Get There

Nearest airport: Prague

From Prague Main Station (Praha Hlavní Nádraží), take a train to Kolín (approx. 40 minutes, departs every 30–40 minutes). Tickets: ~4 EUR regular / ~1 EUR with ISIC discount.

Local transfer: From Kolín station to Hotel Theresia (Na Petříně 991, Kolín II) → 20 min walk or free local bus (lines 1 or 2) to “Modrý bod” stop.

🔗 Useful links:

Train schedules: https://idos.idnes.cz/en/vlaky/spojeni/

Hotel info: https://www.hoteltheresia.cz

Travel guide: Honest Guide – How to get from Prague Airport to city center

✉️ Travel plans must be approved by the organizers: mobility@geyc.ro in line with GEYC's Travel Policy

💶 Financial Details

✅ Covered by Erasmus+:

100% accommodation and meals

Travel reimbursement up to 309 EUR upon presenting all justifying documents.

✈️ Travel Policy

Only economy/basic fare tickets approved from your location in Romania and back to Romania.

All travel plans must be pre-approved by organizers

Reimbursement is processed within up to 3 months after the training, via bank transfer.. Check here the applicable rates for the month of payment.

Do not buy any travel tickets before receiving final confirmation.
Wait for an official selection confirmation email from the organizers before booking your trip.

Keep and store all travel documents properly.
You must provide all the following for reimbursement:

Invoices (saved as PDFs – see how to do it here)
Boarding passes (physical copies or screenshots)
Physical tickets for any bus, train, or local transport used

All travel documents should be uploaded to Google Drive, in a personal folder named after you (for example: Firstname_Lastname_TravelDocs).

Important: Missing or incomplete travel documents may result in delayed or reduced reimbursement.

We are going green 💚. Check out the Travel Policy at GEYC which might differ from other projects you joined before.

📘 Important Information

Health insurance: EHIC or private policy required

Travel documents: Valid ID/passport (6+ months)

Youthpass certificate: awarded at the end of the mobility.

Înscrie-te acum ✍️

News - READY Roadmap on Preparedness and Resilience

2026-03-02T14:54:00.022+02:00

RO EN

READY - Resilience Education And Disaster preparedness for Youth

Pregătirea și reziliența devin priorități-cheie la nivel european și în cadrul programului Erasmus+. Anul trecut, Comisia Europeană a lansat un accent consolidat asupra pregătirii prin strategia Uniunii Europene pentru pregătire ("EU Preparedness Union Strategy"). Aceasta subliniază faptul că pregătirea este o responsabilitate comună și încurajează organizațiile societății civile și organizațiile de tineret să crească nivelul de conștientizare, să dezvolte competențe practice și să consolideze reziliența informațională.

GEYC se concentrează pe acest domeniu pentru a sprijini organizațiile de tineret și tinerii să înțeleagă mai bine riscurile, să dezvolte obiceiuri practice de pregătire și să își consolideze participarea civică.

Ce va face GEYC?

GEYC va contribui la consolidarea pregătirii și rezilienței prin următoarele direcții:

Creșterea gradului de conștientizare privind riscurile și amenințările
Promovarea competențelor practice de pregătire pentru situații de urgență
Integrarea activităților legate de pregătire în diverse programe pentru tineret

Care sunt pașii următori?

Vizită IGSU Caravana Munteniei Masă rotundă Ghid practic

Vizită de studiu: Inspectoratul General pentru Situații de Urgență (IGSU), București

Vizita de studiu a echipei GEYC la Inspectoratul General pentru Situații de Urgență (IGSU), organizată cu ocazia Zilei Internaționale a ONG-urilor, a oferit participanților o perspectivă practică asupra modului în care funcționează sistemul de protecție civilă și pregătirea pentru situații de urgență în România. În prima parte, reprezentanții IGSU au prezentat campaniile de informare dedicate populației și procesul prin care elevii și studenții sunt pregătiți pentru a răspunde eficient în caz de cutremure, incendii sau alte situații critice.

Vizita a continuat cu o componentă practică, în care participanții au explorat echipamentele și utilajele utilizate în intervenții și au asistat la un exercițiu demonstrativ de evacuare a unei persoane, înțelegând astfel mai bine complexitatea și importanța intervențiilor de urgență. Experiența a contribuit la consolidarea înțelegerii conceptelor de preparedness și reziliență comunitară, esențiale pentru implicarea tinerilor în construirea unor comunități mai sigure.

Participare civică: Caravana Munteniei

Carava Munteniei se va desfășura între 9 și 13 martie, în 4 orașe din România: Ploiești, Pitești, Găești și Buzău. Caravana este o inițiativă de outreach dedicată tinerilor, care aduce mai aproape de comunitățile locale din regiunea Muntenia tema pregătirii și a participării civice, prin formate interactive de educație non-formală.

Caravana implică tinerii în discuții practice despre conștientizarea riscurilor, reziliența comunitară, gândirea critică și participarea responsabilă, creând totodată spațiu pentru dialog cu actorii locali. Scopul inițiativei este de a transforma prioritatea pregătirii în obiceiuri clare și acțiuni civice locale, făcând subiectul accesibil, relevant și condus de tineri.

Masă rotundă: Construirea unui viitor rezilient – Pregătirea cetățenilor într-o Uniune în schimbare

Pe 26 martie, GEYC va organiza o masă rotundă la Reprezentanța Comisiei Europene în România. Evenimentul va reuni experți, reprezentanți ai societății civile și tineri într-o discuție multisectorială axată pe trei teme:

Dezastre naturale și adaptarea la schimbările climatice
Amenințări hibride și reziliența informațională
Securitate energetică și cibernetică

Concluziile se vor concretiza în câteva recomandări practice pentru cetățeni și factorii de decizie, precum și o vizibilitate crescută pentru pregătire ca prioritate civică.

Ghid practic pentru organizațiile de tineret

GEYC va publica un ghid digital pentru organizațiile de tineret, pentru a le sprijini să integreze pregătirea și reziliența în activitățile lor și în mobilitățile Erasmus+. Ghidul va include: concepte-cheie explicate într-un limbaj accesibil, planificare pas cu pas, liste de verificare și instrumente practice, studii de caz și bune practici, și o abordare bazată pe risc inspirată de standardul ISO 14001:2015.

De ce se concentrează GEYC pe acest domeniu?

Pregătirea începe cu oameni informați, conectați și pregătiți să acționeze. GEYC va continua să creeze spații în care tinerii și organizațiile pot învăța, se pot pregăti și pot contribui activ. Vrei să faci parte din această inițiativă? Urmărește activitatea noastră, folosește resursele disponibile și adu tema pregătirii în comunitatea ta.

Inițiativa READY face parte din activitățile de dezvoltare a capacității organizaționale din cadrul Acreditării Erasmus+ în domeniul tineretului 2025-1-RO01-KA151-YOU-000299434.

READY - Resilience Education And Disaster preparedness for Youth

Preparedness and resilience are becoming key priorities at the European level and within the Erasmus+ program. Last year, the European Commission launched a consolidated focus on preparedness through the "EU Preparedness Union Strategy". This emphasizes that preparedness is a shared responsibility and encourages civil society and youth organizations to raise awareness, develop practical skills, and strengthen informational resilience.

GEYC focuses on this field to support youth organizations and young people to better understand risks, develop practical preparedness habits, and strengthen their civic participation.

What will GEYC do?

GEYC will contribute to strengthening preparedness and resilience through the following directions:

Raising awareness regarding risks and threats
Promoting practical emergency preparedness skills
Integrating preparedness activities into various youth programs

What are the next steps?

IGSU Visit Muntenia Caravan Round Table Practical Guide

Study Visit: General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), Bucharest

The GEYC team's study visit to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), organized on the occasion of International NGO Day, offered participants a practical perspective on how the civil protection system and emergency preparedness work in Romania. In the first part, IGSU representatives presented information campaigns dedicated to the population and the process through which pupils and students are prepared to respond effectively in case of earthquakes, fires, or other critical situations.

The visit continued with a practical component, where participants explored the equipment and machinery used in interventions and attended a demonstrative exercise of evacuating a person, thus better understanding the complexity and importance of emergency interventions. The experience contributed to strengthening the understanding of the concepts of preparedness and community resilience, essential for involving young people in building safer communities.

Civic Participation: Muntenia Caravan

The Muntenia Caravan will take place between March 9 and 13, in 4 cities in Romania: Ploiești, Pitești, Găești, and Buzău. The Caravan is an outreach initiative dedicated to young people, which brings the theme of preparedness and civic participation closer to local communities in the Muntenia region through interactive non-formal education formats.

The Caravan involves young people in practical discussions about risk awareness, community resilience, critical thinking, and responsible participation, while also creating space for dialogue with local actors. The goal of the initiative is to transform the priority of preparedness into clear habits and local civic actions, making the subject accessible, relevant, and youth-led.

Round Table: Building a Resilient Future – Preparing Citizens in a Changing Union

On March 26, GEYC will organize a round table at the European Commission Representation in Romania. The event will bring together experts, civil society representatives, and young people in a multi-sectoral discussion focused on three themes:

Natural disasters and climate change adaptation
Hybrid threats and informational resilience
Energy and cyber security

The conclusions will result in several practical recommendations for citizens and decision-makers, as well as increased visibility for preparedness as a civic priority.

Practical Guide for Youth Organizations

GEYC will publish a digital guide for youth organizations to support them in integrating preparedness and resilience into their activities and Erasmus+ mobilities. The guide will include: key concepts explained in accessible language, step-by-step planning, practical checklists and tools, case studies and best practices, and a risk-based approach inspired by the ISO 14001:2015 standard.

Why does GEYC focus on this area?

Preparedness starts with people who are informed, connected, and ready to act. GEYC will continue to create spaces where young people and organizations can learn, prepare, and actively contribute. Want to be part of this initiative? Follow our activity, use the available resources, and bring the theme of preparedness to your community.

The READY initiative is part of the GEYC's organisational capacity development activities under the Erasmus+ Accreditation in the field of youth 2025-1-RO01-KA151-YOU-000299434.

Closed call - [ES-816] Healthy Boundaries, Healthy Youth Work, 22.04.2026-27.04.2026, Plasencia, Spain

2026-02-26T13:52:00.006+02:00

Key Information

Dates:	22/04/2026 - 27/04/2026
Arrival day:	22/04/2026
Departure day:	27/04/2026
Location:	Plasencia, Spain
Participants needed:	3 (including youth with fewer opportunities) participants from Romania
Deadline to apply:	05/03/2026 via geyc.ro/mobility

💡 About the Project

Healthy Boundaries, Healthy Youth Work is an Erasmus+ Training Course focused on strengthening youth workers’ personal resilience and professional competences in the field of mental health and well-being. This 4-day capacity-building activity adopts a holistic, experiential, and practice-oriented approach, combining non-formal education methods, mindfulness-based exercises, reflective practices, peer learning, and skills-based workshops. The training responds to the increasing emotional and psychological pressures faced by youth workers in complex and fast-changing environments. It supports participants in understanding how their personal well-being directly influences the quality, inclusiveness, and democratic impact of their youth work. Through intercultural collaboration and exchange of good practices, participants will co-create strategies that promote sustainable, empathetic, and resilient youth work practices.

✨ Highlight: This project is hosted by Asociación Multideportiva Euexia (Spain) and supported by the Erasmus+ Programme.

🎯 Objectives

Develop practical skills in mindfulness and stress management for demanding youth work contexts.
Increase awareness of personal values, motivations, and limits in professional practice.
Strengthen competences in setting and maintaining healthy boundaries.
Improve assertive communication and conflict management skills.

👥 Target Group

Youth workers, youth leaders, social workers (volunteers or employed staff)
Age: 18+
Good level of English
Motivated to reflect deeply and actively engage in experiential learning
Gender balance will be ensured

🏠 About the Location

📍 Plasencia, Spain – a historic city in the Extremadura region, founded in the 12th century and known for its medieval walls, noble palaces, and its Old and New Cathedrals. The city is also close to Monfragüe National Park.

🏡 Venue: Participants will be accommodated in two hotels located in the city center, 2 minutes from each other: Hotel Goyesco & Hotel La Muralla. Participants will stay in shared rooms.

Activities will take place in Plasencia city center.

Participants will stay in multiple rooms 2-3 beds. Each room has its own bathroom.

Meals provided.

Bed linen and towels included

🚆 How to Get There

Nearest airport: Fly to Madrid Barajas Airport.

From Madrid Airport to Atocha Train Station: Metro Line 8 or Express Airport Bus (5€, approx. 45 minutes).

From Atocha Train Station to Plasencia: Train via www.renfe.com or Bus via www.cevesa.es

Please check Madrid–Plasencia connections before booking flights, as there are limited daily connections.

✉️ Travel plans must be approved by the organizers: mobility@geyc.ro in line with GEYC's Travel Policy

💶 Financial Details

✅ Covered by Erasmus+:

100% accommodation and meals

Travel reimbursement up to 309 EUR upon presenting all justifying documents.

✈️ Travel Policy

Only economy/basic fare tickets approved from your location in Romania and back to Romania.

All travel plans must be pre-approved by organizers

Reimbursement in EUR after mobility.. Check here the applicable rates for the month of payment.

Do not buy any travel tickets before receiving final confirmation.
Wait for an official selection confirmation email from the organizers before booking your trip.

Keep and store all travel documents properly.
You must provide all the following for reimbursement:

Invoices (saved as PDFs – see how to do it here)
Boarding passes (physical copies or screenshots)
Physical tickets for any bus, train, or local transport used

All travel documents should be uploaded to Google Drive, in a personal folder named after you (for example: Firstname_Lastname_TravelDocs).

Important: Missing or incomplete travel documents may result in delayed or reduced reimbursement.

We are going green 💚. Check out the Travel Policy at GEYC which might differ from other projects you joined before.

📘 Important Information

Health insurance: EHIC or private policy required

Travel documents: Valid ID/passport (6+ months)

Youthpass certificate: awarded at the end of the mobility.

Înscrie-te acum ✍️