Empowering Youth through Open Youth Work in Europe

ongoing

In 2025, ECYC will focus on supporting the mental health and well-being of young people through open youth work, integrating this as a central theme across its activities. This initiative seeks to increase mental health awareness among youth and equip youth clubs across Europe with the resources they need to foster supportive, resilient environments. ECYC will continue working on inclusion, social justice, and human rights, drawing particular attention to challenges such as extremism, racism, and systemic barriers to equality. ECYC will continue collaborating with experts, including those from academia, to strengthen evidence-based advocacy efforts. Among planned activities, a series of expert discussions will be organized on topics such as linking and integrating European youth policies, youth work’s impact on young lives, developing youth work in less-established contexts, and supporting marginalized and at-risk youth. These discussions will directly contribute to the EU Youth Policy by ensuring that the voices of young people and practitioners are central to the ongoing development and implementation of youth-related strategies. In 2025, ECYC will also give special attention to the mental health and well-being of young people, which aligns with EU youth policy priorities. ECYC will work to expand its membership, particularly in underserved regions, aiming to enhance the reach and inclusivity of youth clubs across Europe. Capacity-building activities and advocacy campaigns will be the main forms of work. The impact of ECYC’s activities is multifaceted, focusing on fostering meaningful youth engagement, promoting social inclusion, and empowering young people to participate in democratic processes. Through its activities ECYCcontributes to reduce inequalities and ensure marginalized youth are represented and heard. The proposed activities, particularly those related to youth empowerment, and social inclusion, will extend this impact by strengthening the capac