The Youth Partnership has a long-standing tradition of supporting youth work development and practice across Europe, notably through the creation of capacity-building tools and publications for the youth work community of practice.

In 2026-2028, the Youth Partnership will play an enhanced role in contributing to the professional development of youth workers, supporting and empowering young people, and addressing new challenges and emerging topics. This will build on the specific nature of this co-operation programme between the European Commission and the Council of Europe, a programme grounded in youth research, bridging research and practice, and situated at the intersection of both institutions’ strategies and political agendas.

Objectives

The Youth Partnership will organise a series of “evidence-based seminars” aimed at strengthening the capacity of youth workers by linking their daily practice with the latest research findings (from the Youth Partnership, universities, researchers and experts), policy developments, and shared priorities of the European Commission and the Council of Europe.

Each seminar will aim to:

  • Translate research and knowledge into everyday action for youth workers and the youth work community of practice.
  • Foster reflexivity and critical reflection on current youth work practices in an international context.
  • Provide inspiration and learning from existing practices and initiatives.
  • Encourage peer learning, networking and exchange among members of the youth work community of practice.
  • Promote and disseminate tools, materials and publications developed by the Youth Partnership, increasing their visibility and uptake.
  • Specific objectives will be defined for each seminar during its preparatory phase.

Complementary to these seminars, the Youth Partnership will also develop and produce high-quality, needs-based resources for competence development, where relevant and where such tools do not yet exist. These efforts will support a wide range of stakeholders within the youth work community of practice, particularly youth workers, in their daily roles. Coyote, the online magazine for youth workers, will also be strengthened and renewed as part of these efforts.

Expected outcomes

Seminar Youth work in rural areas (working title)

  • A seminar (≈ 50–60 participants) will be organised, building on the research conducted by the Youth Partnership in 2024–2025, which examined rural youth’s experiences and needs in the areas of education, employment, participation, social support, spatial mobility, and access to leisure, culture and sport. The seminar will also draw on the analysis presented in this study of youth work services across a selected number of Council of Europe member States, with the aim of improving opportunities and conditions for young people living in rural areas.
    The activity will contribute to the implementation of the Recommendation CM/Rec(2025)3 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the social, economic and political participation of rural youth, and will align with the EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027, in particular EU Youth Goal #6: Moving Rural Youth Forward, as well as the Council Conclusions on raising opportunities for young people in rural and remote areas 2020/C 193/03.

Supporting young people’s mental health and well-being / resilience (working title)

  • A seminar (≈ 50–60 participants) will be organised, building on the findings of the Youth Partnership’s study Advancing youth mental health and well-being. A mapping of policy frameworks, tools and services across Europe. The study identifies good practices in service provision and capacity building for professionals and highlights national competence frameworks and tools developed to strengthen support for young people’s mental health and well-being.
  • Concrete tool (such as T-kit) to support youth workers understanding their role and working with young people on that topic.

Strengthening young people’s critical thinking in the digital era (working title)

  • A seminar (≈ 50–60 participants) will be organised to explore the role of youth work in empowering young people to think critically, understand, challenge, and engage meaningfully in the digital era. As technology, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence (AI) have become integral to young people’s lives – offering both opportunities and risks – the seminar will reinforce the democratic foundations of youth work as a socio-political practice that fosters democratic and critical citizenship. 
    The seminar will draw on existing research, as well as on recent studies conducted by the Youth Partnership, including Youth Work and TECHLASH: What Are the New Challenges of Digitalisation for Young People? (2022) and Insights into Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on the Youth Sector (2024). It will align with the EU Preparedness Strategy and the latest development for protecting democracy (in particular the Democracy Shield and considerations regarding the Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI)  and disinformation), and with the Council of Europe’s New Democratic Pact for Europe, and its pillar Learning and Practising Democracy, which emphasises equipping young people with the skills, attitudes and critical thinking necessary for active citizenship.
  • A concrete tool to support youth workers in improving young people’s digital awareness and strengthening their critical thinking skills.

Youth work, peace education and preparedness

  • A seminar (≈ 50–60 participants) will be organised to reflect on and provide support to youth workers in relation to two key policy developments from the partner institutions: the forthcoming Council of Europe Recommendation on the role of young people in peacebuilding, and the EU preparedness strategy, which aims in particular to promote preparedness in youth programmes. The seminar will be further specified in due course, following the adoption of the Council of Europe Recommendation.
  • A concrete tool to support youth workers in these areas will also be developed (to be further defined).

Coyote youth work magazine (renewed): stories, inspiring practices and initiatives relevant to the youth work community of practice 

One issue published per year, featuring stories, inspiring practices, and initiatives relevant to the youth work community of practice. The magazine will adopt a lively and engaging format, combining interviews, short videos, and visual content.

The renewed Coyote will also include concise sections providing updates from the partner institutions and accessible summaries of key research findings relevant to youth workers and practitioners.

Possible thematic focuses, aligned with the priorities of the workplan and research agenda, include: working with young people in the age of AI and digitalisation, young people’s access to rights, climate justice, mental health, and human rights.
 

Indicative timeline

2026

Seminar on strengthening young people’s critical thinking in the digital era

Seminar on youth work, peace education, and preparedness

Coyote youth work magazine issue 39

2027

Seminar on youth work in rural areas.

Practical tool to support youth workers in strengthening young people’s critical thinking in the digital era

Practical tool for youth workers on youth work, peace education, and preparedness.

Coyote youth work magazine issue 40

2028

Seminar on supporting young people’s mental health and well-being, including practical tool for youth workers

Coyote youth work magazine issue 41