Key objectives of the project include:

• Acknowledging the multilayer impact of youth work and creating favorable conditions for quality youth work development and standardization in the WB region.
• Networking and enabling the growth of the youth work community of practice in the WB to foster EU Youth Strategy and European Youth Work Agenda implementation.
• Supporting youth work recognition processes across the WB region by effectively communicating the impact of youth work to different audiences.
• Fostering meaningful multi-sector and regional cooperation to advance young people’s position in the WB region, particularly those with fewer opportunities.

Key Activities:

The project will conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to identify challenges and opportunities in youth work practices in the WB region. Additionally, tailored capacity-building programs for youth workers will be designed and delivered, focusing on professional standards, program development, and evaluation. The project will also facilitate networking events and knowledge-sharing platforms to enhance collaboration among youth work practitioners in the WB

region, advocate for the recognition and support of youth work at local and national levels.

Furthermore, the project will support the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy and the Youth Work Agenda in the WB, focusing on the promotion and quality assurance of youth work. It will foster cooperation at both regional and EU levels among the youth work community of practice, capacitate organizations working with young people outside formal learning, and enable the professional development of WB youth workers, facilitating the sharing of experiences and best practices with their EU counterparts.

Target Audience:

The project targets a wide range of stakeholders, including youth workers and practitioners, youth organizations and other civil society organizations, local and national authorities responsible for youth-related policies, and stakeholders involved in youth work initiatives.

Expected Impact:

By addressing the identified challenges and implementing capacity- building and policy initiatives, the project aims to achieve several outcomes. These include improved quality and standardization of youth work programs across the WB Region, enhanced cooperation and collaboration among youth work practitioners and organizations, increased recognition and support for youth work by policymakers and stakeholders, and empowerment of young people with improved access to high-quality youth work services and opportunities for personal and community development.

Implementing organizations:

Forum mladi i neformalna edukacija (Forum MNE) in partnership with Nacionalna asocijacija praktičara/ki omladinskog rada (NAPOR), PRONI Centar za omladinski razvoj (PRONI), Sojuz za mladinska rabota (SMR), Youth for Social Changes (YSC), Organizata Joqeveritare THY Udruzenje (OJQ THY), and Human Rights Education Youth Network (HREYN).